Apr 29, 2015 4 min read

As the main means by which the Steelers acquire players, the draft is always a very important part of the team’s year.

But this draft might be the most important in recent years.

With all but only a few ties to the Steelers’ Super Bowl teams now gone, and the window of opportunity to make another run with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger closing, the team needs to get its draft right more than ever.

And with the losses this offseason of leaders such as Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor, it wouldn’t hurt to add some high-character players.

With that in mind, Connecticut cornerback Byron Jones should be the Steelers’ pick in the first round of the draft, which begins tonight.

The Steelers haven’t selected a cornerback in the first round of the draft since taking Chad Scott in 1997. They haven’t selected a defensive back in the opening round since trading up to acquire Polamalu in 2003.

It’s time to rectify that, especially given Pittsburgh ranked 27th in the NFL in pass defense last season.

A pass rusher would help as well, but the top edge rushers in this draft should go early in the first round. A couple of possibilities for the Steelers would be Missouri’s Shane Ray and Virginia’s Eli Harold.

Ray is dealing with a toe injury and was cited for marijuana possession earlier this week during a traffic stop. That likely means the Steelers will pass on Ray.

Harold, meanwhile, has talent as a pass rusher but has some issues with his run defense. Taking him at No. 22 might be too high.

Alabama safety Landon Collins is the top prospect at his position and many people have linked him with the Steelers following the retirement of Polamalu. But the Steelers need players in their secondary who are adept at taking the football away from the opponent.

Collins is a safety who is best playing close to the line of scrimmage. That is where Polamalu was at his best, but he also was adept at forcing turnovers. That’s where Collins comes up short. In 41 collegiate games, he had only five interceptions, which isn’t bad, but it’s not exactly ballhawk material.

All of which brings us back to Jones.

He’s not the best cornerback in this draft. That honor would fall on Michigan State’s Trae Waynes.

And if Wake Forest’s Kevin Johnson is available, he would be a better pick for the Steelers. But in my latest mock draft, Johnson is taken before the Steelers make their selection.

Washington cornerback Marcus Peters is also a very good player but had some issues with his college coaching staff that led to him being kicked off the team.

Jones is a very good football player and outstanding athlete. At the NFL Draft Combine, he set a world record – not a combine record, a world record – in the standing long jump with a leap of 12-3, which was 15 inches farther than second-best from a defensive back. He followed that with a vertical leap of 44½ inches, three inches better than anyone else at the combine.

Jones ranked among the top performers at the combine in every drill.

He’s the kind of athlete the Steelers need in their secondary.

Playing cornerback the past two years at Connecticut – he started his first two seasons at safety – Jones had five interceptions in 19 games. He was, however, limited to seven games in 2014 because of a shoulder injury.

The Steelers also need to acquire another outside linebacker – which they will likely do in the second round – another defensive back, a tight end, defensive lineman, offensive lineman, wide receiver and running back.

They have eight picks in the seven-round draft, which concludes Saturday, and probably won’t be able to fill all of those needs.

But taking Jones in the first round would help fill one of them.

F. Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com. His latest mock draft can be viewed at www.observer-reporter.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=SPORTS0602