The Pittsburgh Steelers and Omar Khan have received high marks for their performance in the NFL Draft. The Steelers general manager integrated the input of Andy Weidl and Mike Tomlin flawlessly to come away with one of the best-received drafts in recent Steelers history. The players they selected have to produce on the field in the fall, but the optimism surrounding this draft class is palpable.
Newest addition to the secondary 🙌@Treez23_ | More highlights on https://t.co/XL7UQscxtd pic.twitter.com/bd2D4yUJU4
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) May 2, 2023
On Tuesday, Ryan Wilson, a draft analyst for CBS Sports, joined the The PM Team w/ Poni & Mueller to share his opinions on how the Steelers did in the 2023 NFL Draft. Wilson raved to Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller about how Pittsburgh executed a plan during the draft and came away winners at the end of the weekend.
“I don’t do grades necessarily, I do rankings,” Wilson began. “The Steelers graded out as the best draft class, according to what I thought would happen. It doesn’t necessarily mean that I am right, but in watching these players and trying to get an idea where they might go and the value the Steelers got, they got a lot of value. You talk about Corey Trice and [Nick] Herbig was one of my favorite players in this draft class. It is hard to point at any one thing and say they messed up.”
The Steelers found value with every selection, including a bold trade with the New England Patriots who allowed them to move up and select the franchise left tackle they were craving in Broderick Jones. Wilson was a fan of what they did early, but saved his highest praise for what the Steelers did in the seventh round of the draft.
Purdue University Athletics/purduesports.com
Cory Trice Jr. runs the 40-yard dash at the 2023 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana.
“Corey Trice, I had him as mid to late third-rounder,” Wilson continued. “He ended up going near the bottom of round seven. I saw him play in person when they played Syracuse. He is a big thick corner, and he ran sub 4.5 and his three-cone and short shuttle was off-the-charts-great for someone that size."
Corey Trice Jr. leaps out on tape as significantly bigger than the receivers he was matching up with in college. The cornerback crop in this year’s draft was extremely deep, but Trice was slated to go much higher than the seventh round. Most draft experts had mocked him as a solid fourth or fifth-round prospect, so when he fell to Pittsburgh in the seventh round, it was an easy decision for the Steelers to bring him on board.
Peter Diana / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers' Teryl Austin talks with the defensive backs.
Wilson told Fillipponi and Mueller that his role might evolve into more than just a cornerback in the Steelers scheme and his size and versatility could open a lot of intriguing options for how Teryl Austin could use him during the 2023 season.
“Worst case, you can sort of play him as an all over the field chess piece, like they wanted to do with Devin Bush when he was healthy and didn’t have the ACL injury. He’s not a linebacker obviously, but he is more of a safety-corner hybrid. That versatility makes him an interesting prospect. I like him a lot and I have been talking about him for months and I am glad he found his way to Pittsburgh.”
Steelers Exploring Options At ILB And Could Bring Back Myles Jack On Team-Friendly Deal
The NFL is evolving and with the advent of more nickel and dime packages being played to slow down passing games, the idea of Trice filling a coverage linebacker role in dime packages could give the Steelers a significant edge in coverage. The Steelers’ current inside linebackers Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, and Mark Robinson are not equipped to be high-end coverage linebackers and the Steelers have been rumored to be exploring bringing back Myles Jack to fill the role. Trice would be an interesting alternative.
Steelers.com
Steelers cornerback Cory Trice Jr.
Fillipponi pointed out to Wilson that people from Purdue had suggested despite Trice’s size, he could be a slot corner for the Steelers. It was suggested that his size could be an asset in matching up with the bigger more physical slot receivers in the NFL.
“I think that makes sense,” Wilson said. “Trice gives you that versatility because recently a lot of slot corners have been smaller. He gets to match up against tight ends and even bigger running backs and that mismatch can sometimes be exposed, but that is not going be the case with Corey Trice.”
The Steelers imported Allen Robinson during the offseason and is expected to play in the slot when he is on the field. Tight ends like Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews often line up in the slot and exploit mismatches against smaller cornerbacks that Trice could limit and give the Steelers an edge that would force teams into uncomfortable adjustments away from a primary target in the passing game.
Defenses have trailed behind passing offenses over the last few years and large physical cornerbacks who can match up in bump and run coverage may be the adjustment that levels the playing field. The Steelers are assembling exactly that kind of group in the defensive backfield and seem to have a very definite plan for the first time in over a decade about the type of players they want in the secondary.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Are you excited that the Steelers have a blueprint in the secondary? Please comment below, or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
