The 2024 NFL Draft is just less than two weeks away, and it’s time to decipher which players would be good fits for our Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers will be looking to add playmakers at several position groups throughout the selection process, and the good news is this Draft sets up well for their needs.

In this series, we’ll be looking at players at each of the Steelers top 5 positions of need. In no particular order, these are the positions I see the Steelers most likely targeting at some point in the Draft:

Wide Receiver
Offensive Tackle
Cornerback
Center
Defensive Tackle

We already discussed the WR and OT position groups. In this edition, we’ll look at a really good Cornerback group boasting a slew of versatile cover men that could interest the Steelers in the 2024 NFL Draft.

QUINYON MITCHELL | TOLEDO
AGE: 22 | HT: 6’0″ | WT: 195 | JUNIOR

Mitchell is an explosive, fluid athlete on the outside with great instincts and ball skills, and the ability to operate effectively in a variety of coverage schemes. He displays solid physicality in press coverage, often redirecting receivers off the route early, and plenty of speed to run with even the fastest WRs. In zone coverage, he has good eyes and a great feel for spacing. His tape is really good overall, but some teams could be deterred from selecting him near the Top 10 of the Draft due to the lower level of competition he faced in College at Toledo.

For Pittsburgh, the small-school stigma shouldn’t be much of an issue. They’ve dipped into that well before with impact players like Alex Highsmith and another Toledo Rocket in Diontae Johnson. If Mitchell were to fall into the mid-teens to early 20s range of the Draft, you’d have to think Mitchell would be extremely high on their wishlist. The most likely scenario for the Steelers to land Mitchell would be for them to trade up ahead of the Colts at 15, who desperately need CB help. Mitchell projects as a guy who could be worth such a move.

COOPER DEJEAN | IOWA
AGE: 21 | HT: 6’0″ | WT: 203 | JUNIOR

If the Steelers do go CB in Round 1, the most likely candidate would likely be DeJean, who I have compared to Minkah Fitzpatrick from an athletic and versatility standpoint. DeJean is explosive and instinctive in coverage, and despite some rumor to the contrary, shows that he has the athleticism to play outside Corner in the NFL. DeJean is lethal in zone coverage with great eyes and the ability to pass off complex route combinations with ease. He baits QBs into bad throws with great makeup speed and can take any INT to the house with return-man like skills with the ball in his hands.

Pittsburgh brought DeJean in for a 30 Visit, and it’s obvious they like his versatility and athletic profile. If he’s there at 20 and the big-name OT’s are off the board, the former Hawkeye could very well end up trading in his Iowa black and gold for, well, more black and gold.

MIKE SAINRISTIL | MICHIGAN
AGE: 23 | HT: 5’9″ | WT: 182 | SENIOR

Sainristil is definitely a “Tomlin guy” in this draft class. He’s an edgy, twitchy slot cover corner with elite quickness and impressive toughness, especially for his size. An easy comp for Sainristil is former Steeler Mike Hilton, the original “Tomlin guy.” The former Wolverine makes a living sticking with shifty slot receivers and laying the wood in run support. He’s also an effective blitzer, much like Hilton. He’ll obviously need refinement at the next level, but he projects as the top Nickel CB in this draft for many evaluators, and will fill a glaring hole on the Steelers roster right away.

M.J. DEVONSHIRE | PITT
AGE: 23 | HT: 5’11” | WT: 186 | SENIOR

Devonshire has incredible length and good athleticism, despite being a little undersized for what the Steelers like in their corners. They would be very familiar with his game working together out of the same facilities, and if the team is looking for a dude on the outside with proven ball production and upside, Devonshire could be their guy. Only 5’11” but boasting a lengthy 6’6″ wingspan, Devonshire can make life miserable for opposing WRs at the catchpoint, and he also uses that length to knock receivers off the route and force tight-window throws. He can play man or zone, but is best with his eyes in the backfield watching the QB’s eyes and making plays on the football.

If the Steelers feel comfortable with running Donte Jackson out as their CB2 next to Joey Porter Jr. to start the year, adding a guy like Devonshire in the middle of the draft makes a lot of sense. He could come in and immediately complete at the Nickel spot and join Corey Trice and Darius Rush to give Pittsburgh another versatile, young depth piece with upside in the secondary.

DAEQUAN HARDY | PENN STATE
AGE: 22 | HT: 5’9″ | WT: 179 | SENIOR

Another smaller Nickel corner prospect that the Steelers brought in for a visit, Hardy isn’t overly twitchy, but he is very fast and has natural ball skills that will interest teams late in the Draft. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in heart, and he does show decent recognition skills on tape. More so than he is often given credit for. A PBU artist, if Hardy is in close proximity to the target at the catch point, he makes it extremely tough for receivers to haul in the catch. Hardy brings solid Special Teams value as well, having worked as a punt returner and a gunner in College. If the Steelers select him late, those abilities could help him stick while he learns the finer points of coverage at the NFL level.