Iowa CB Fixes Steelers Defense

The Pittsburgh Steelers could plug their final hole with one player.

Oct 21, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Cooper DeJean (3) looks on during | Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- Cooper DeJean is expected to be an NFL cornerback, but some say he'll transition into a safety role once in the league. The Pittsburgh Steelers could probably utilize him at both positions, and if they land him with the 20th pick, he fixes their last remaining hole.

In NFL Network's latest mock draft, the Steelers add DeJean in the first-round.

"I forced Brock Bowers into the top 10 above. Now I’m bringing similar conviction to this projection for DeJean, as I’m bullish on the versatile defensive back ultimately being a top-20 pick. Absent through most of the pre-draft process due to a broken leg suffered in November, DeJean just put on an athletic show for scouts at his private workout. The playmaking extraordinaire — and prolific return man — is made for today’s NFL, with defenses valuing coverage versatility and ball skills at a premium," they write.

The question then becomes, where does he play? Well, in year one, it doesn't matter. The Steelers need a slot cornerback but have three options with the addition of DeJean - DeJean himself, DeShon Elliott and Damontae Kazee. If they wanted to, they could probably add Donte Jackson to that list.

That's where the Steelers currently sit. They don't need an exact science solution at nickelback, but rather options. If they have three or four players who could compete for the role, or plug in after they compete for different roles, then they can make it work.

Pittsburgh somewhat moved away from versatility this offseason and stuck with players playing certain positions. But sometimes, what has worked in the past still works today. DeJean could fill in anywhere on the defense, and the Steelers need to fill one final hole.

Maybe it's DeJean himself. Maybe he plays the outside and Jackson plays the inside. Maybe he moves to safety and one of Elliott or Kazee move up. Who knows - but that's a great starting point for Pittsburgh.

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