Projected Day 2 Pick Chris Johnson Grew Up Idolizing CB Ike Taylor: "I Grew Up A Steelers Fan"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have everyone wondering what they are going to do with their abundance of draft capital in the 2026 NFL Draft. With the draft being hosted in the city of Pittsburgh for the first time ever, it is set to be a historic moment. It also marks a new era, as Mike McCarthy is now at the helm, becoming just the fourth head coach in Pittsburgh since 1969.

McCarthy is tasked with trying to turn this team around quickly and get them back into the Super Bowl conversation, as Pittsburgh has not won a playoff game since the 2016 season. Alongside him, General Manager Omar Khan understands that a strong draft will be critical. The Steelers will need to find value, build depth, and identify players who can contribute immediately if they want to take a meaningful step forward.

To do that, the organization is digging deep into every detail about top prospects. On Wednesday, an interesting connection surfaced when highly touted cornerback Chris Johnson revealed that he grew up modeling his game after former Steelers corner Ike Taylor. That kind of connection could add another layer of intrigue as Pittsburgh evaluates its options heading into a pivotal draft.

"Grew up idolizing, I would probably say I grew up a Steelers fan, so I am definitely a little biased for sure," Johnson said. "I got to go with Ike Taylor for sure. He was just like not the biggest, the fastest, he couldn't catch the best, but at the end of the day, he played his butt off with max effort and, you know, just being out there for his brothers."

Johnson did have a top 30 visit with the Steelers recently. He was asked to go into detail about his visit with the team he grew up a big fan of. 

He spoke highly of the organization, emphasizing how meaningful the experience was for him personally. Johnson also noted that being in the facility and around the coaching staff only strengthened his interest in potentially playing in Pittsburgh.

"Yeah, nah, it was crazy man, just seeing all those legends on the wall," Johnson said. "You could tell it is definitely just a historical building. Obviously they have the trophy room with all six Super Bowl trophies in there. That was crazy to just see that in person, just seeing that Lombardi behind the glass. It was a great visit. I saw legends on there like 'Mean' Joe Greene, guys like that, it was crazy. I loved it man. That staff is real serious about what they are doing down there and they are real good people too."

The Steelers are relatively deep in the secondary now after free agency began, which has shifted some of the expectations surrounding their draft approach. At one point, it felt like cornerback could be a major priority, but that urgency has softened a bit given the current roster makeup.

Steelers Find Out That Chris Johnson Loves Pittsburgh

Because of that, it may feel a little early for Pittsburgh to reach on Johnson in Round 1 or 2. Of course, the Steelers could still make that move if they truly believe in his upside, especially with how important the position remains in today’s game.

His connection to the team is special and exciting for fans to hear. Being a fan of Taylor shows he was a true diehard, as Taylor embodied a hard-working, gritty style of play, and Johnson clearly studied everything there was to know about him.

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