Steelers Projected to Land ‘Top Athlete’ to Add Versatility on Defense

Getty The Athletic's Dane Brugler predicted the Pittsburgh Steelers to add a top athlete to safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and their defense in 2024.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have drafted one cornerback in the first round the past 26 years, and that lone selection failed miserably. But The Athletic’s Dane Brugler predicted the Steelers to take another stab at selecting a cornerback in the first round this offseason.

In his latest 2024 NFL mock draft released on January 16, Brugler projected the Steelers to pick Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean.

“One of the top athletes in the draft, DeJean has experience as an outside corner, inside corner and a box/middle-field defender,” Brugler wrote. “I’ll be sending a petition for the NFL to add a dunk contest at the combine so we can see DeJean go to work. And we already know he performs well wearing black and gold.”

DeJean’s versatility should be an attractive trait for the Steelers as they possibly look to fill several places in their secondary before the 2024 season. There could be an opening for Pittsburgh at outside cornerback, safety or nickel cornerback this offseason.

What Cooper DeJean Would Bring to Steelers

The Steelers added Joey Porter Jr. at cornerback last year, but he was the first pick of the second round in 2023. The only cornerback Pittsburgh has selected in the first round since 1998 was Artie Burns in 2016.

Spending only one full season as a starter with the Steelers, Burns failed to live up to his first-round hype. Other than Burns, Pittsburgh has used middle-tier draft picks and free agents to address cornerback over the past 25 years.

Drafting DeJean to play opposite Porter could set up the Steelers with a cornerback duo for years to come. However, DeJean also has the ability to fill other potential holes in Pittsburgh’s secondary.

The Steelers haven’t had an excellent slot cornerback since Mike Hilton left in free agency after 2020. Pittsburgh also had significant depth problems at safety during 2023.

Based on his college experience, DeJean could help in multiple places on the Steelers defense.

“There’s an outcome where DeJean splits time between the boundary, the slot, and field safety at the NFL level,” Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings wrote. “Ultimately, he’s an extremely role-versatile player based on the game script. Let him manage and play in space, and let him crash downhill and attack blocks.

“Either way, he’ll produce from whichever alignment he takes on these jobs.”

Questions Steelers Must Answer in Secondary

One of the top reasons DeJean is an attractive potential pick for the Steelers is because there’s a lot of unknown with the team’s secondary.

Veteran cornerbacks Levi Wallace, James Pierre, Chandon Sullivan and Elijah Riley are all set to be free agents this offseason. Fellow veteran Patrick Peterson could start opposite Porter at cornerback, but at the end of December, Peterson mentioned moving to safety as a possibility for 2024.

On January 16, Bleacher Report’s NFL scouting department called Peterson a potential cut candidate for Pittsburgh.

The Steelers have four safeties under contract for 2024, and that doesn’t include Peterson. But veteran Keanu Neal finished the season on injured reserve, which makes his future a little uncertain.

Once free agency begins, there will likely be a clearer picture for Pittsburgh’s secondary. But for now, it makes sense to argue the Steelers should add a versatile athlete to the back end of their defense.