The 2023 NFL Draft is looming and the front office of the Pittsburgh Steelers and coaching staff are in full swing doing their pre-draft due diligence. Head Coach Mike Tomlin, General Manager Omar Khan and other position coaches are making their rounds and sweeping the nation in search of the future playmakers for the black and gold. Last year at this time it was clear the Steelers were looking to take a quarterback in the first round and needed to spend the majority of their time scouting college pro days looking for the replacement of future Hall Of Famer Ben Roethlisberger.
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Pitt QB Kenny Pickett watches with his family as he gets drafted by the Steelers
This year however, the Steelers are in a much different boat and have multiple needs on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Some experts say the Steelers need to sure up the offensive line while others think that the secondary needs tending to with the 17th pick. Some fans would even like to see the Steelers draft former Pitt Panthers wide receiver Jordan Addison and reunite him with his college quarterback Kenny Pickett.
While all this debate is going on circling the Steelers' three picks in the first two rounds of the draft, there are still some late-round candidates the Steelers and fans should keep an eye on in the later stages of the draft. One cornerback, in particular, catches my eye and that's Riley Moss out of the University of Iowa.
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Moss was a team captain for the Hawkeyes in 2022 and finished his career with 11 interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns. He was named First-Team All-Big Ten by coaches in 2022 and was a significant part of the Hawkeyes' defense which was near the top in all of college football last season. Moss had a 54-yard interception return for a touchdown and a 57-yard return in consecutive games in 2020 which put him on the radar of NFL scouts and has continued to be one of the most productive cornerbacks in college football. He also was Pro Football Focus' top-rated coverage cornerback over the last two seasons and was the only cornerback to receive coverage grades over 75 points.
At What Pick Should The Steelers Key In On Moss?
It is no secret that the Steelers will be looking to take a cornerback in this year's upcoming draft and Moss is not the exact answer they're looking for when it comes to a lockdown number one corner. The Steelers will definitely be keeping their eyes on prospects such as Kelee Ringo out of the University of Georgia, Christian Gonzalez from Oregon and Devon Witherspoon from the University of Illinois and try to turn one of those guys into the Steelers' top cornerback.
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As it stands now, the Steelers currently have two picks in the seventh round (pick 234 and pick 241 via the Denver Broncos) and Moss will likely be anywhere between a fifth-round to seventh-round draft pick. The Steelers currently don't have a fifth-round pick but with having multiple picks in the seventh-round, they may be able to find a way to acquire a fifth-round pick from another team via trade.
It has even been brought up that Moss could likely have a future in the NFL as a safety which would be a solid insurance piece for a very thin Steelers secondary. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com mentioned that in his scouting report of Moss.
"An instinctive cornerback with good size and play strength, Moss will need to prove he has the speed and durability needed for the next level. He has issues recovering quickly when beaten from press or at route breaks. Ballhawking instincts and soft hands are a big part of his game, as is his physicality at the catch point and as a tackler. He has CB3/4 potential in a zone-based defense, but could find reps at safety in the future if a team believes he has the frame for it."
With the tremendous upside of Moss and the Steelers having multiple seventh-round picks, I believe if he is still available at pick 234 or if the Steelers are able to sneak into the fifth round, they cannot let him slip past them.
What do you think? Would you like to see the Steelers take a chance on Moss in the later rounds of the 2023 Draft? If not, who would you like to see them draft instead? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below!
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