The Pittsburgh Steelers are fairly unpredictable when it comes to the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The organization has several different routes it could take, including trading out of the round entirely. There are several positions on the table, with the most talked about ones being something on the interior defensive line or a quarterback. A passer would be ideal considering Pittsburgh has been in struggling at the position ever since the start of the 2022 season, but there might be an under-the-radar spot the Steelers need to address.
The Steelers have a young and promising cornerback in Joey Porter Jr., but the organization has been struggling to find him an adequate counterpart. Pittsburgh had failed attempts with Patrick Peterson and Donte Jackson, but the franchise is trying again with a veteran after signing Darius Slay in free agency. Slay is a band-aid at the position, and whether or not he plays well doesn't have any effect on the future of the position for Pittsburgh as he will likely retire after the 2025 season.
Behind Slay is Cory Trice Jr. who is an unproven player entering his third season that has struggled to stay on the field. He should not be relied upon in any way, although the organization has been said to love him. The current situation aside from Porter obviously displays a pressing need for a promising young cornerback, especially when the different situations around the AFC North are taken into account.
The landscape of the AFC North doesn't necessarily play into Pittsburgh's favor. Both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins signed extensions with the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2025 offseason, and the Cleveland Browns are in position to take Travis Hunter with the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Baltimore Ravens also have Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, who had somewhat of a breakout year in 2024.
There is some elite receiving talent in the division for the Steelers to lineup against, which means addressing cornerback might be a priority for the Steelers in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Team insider Brian Batko discussed how this is important for the Steelers due to the talent at receiver within their division in a recent article for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
"No matter what happens, the Steelers need to ensure they get their three best cornerbacks on the field as much as possible, regardless of where they line up at the snap. And with the Bengals locking up Chase and Tee Higgins for the long haul, defending the pass in the AFC North isn’t getting any easier."
Even if the Steelers are confident in the abilities of Porter and Slay on the outside, drafting a versatile corner or safety that can lineup in the slot would be a good idea. So far, Pittsburgh has conducted three pre-draft visits that would fulfill this criteria, and the prospects that were brought in are a safety in Nick Emmanwori, as well as two cornerbacks in Azareye'h Thomas and Trey Amos.
Steelers Should Consider Drafting Safety Malaki Starks
Both Thomas and Amos are two players that Pittsburgh could probably look to move back and still select. However, Emmanwori is a highly-touted prospect who as elite athletic attributes. His actual football abilities have been questioned, and the more reliable safety to draft is probably Malaki Starks out of Georgia.
A key secondary piece is going to be crucial in the 2025 NFL Draft for Pittsburgh in order to matchup with the weapons in the AFC North in the future. Starks could matchup with some weapons, and he is also a strong tackler that could play well against the strong running attacks in the division as well.
