Apr 26, 2016 5 min read

PITTSBURGH – After years of getting solid play but few interceptions from Ike Taylor, the Steelers changed what they were looking for from their cornerbacks.

While pass coverage ability is still valued, the Steelers have placed a greater emphasis on takeaways from their defensive backs.

It was one reason why Cortez Allen, who showed some ability to create takeaways in 2012 and 2013, was given a five-year, $26-million contract extension prior to the 2014 season.

However, injuries and ineffectiveness plagued Allen in 2014 and 2015 and he was released two weeks ago, even though Pittsburgh had Antwon Blake and Brandon Boykin, who combined to play 1,195 defensive snaps last season, both leave in free agency.

And with safety Will Allen, who played 814 snaps at strong safety, also not returning, the Steelers are missing quite a bit of experience in the secondary.

Pittsburgh is hoping youthful athleticism will help overcome a lack of experience as it heads into the NFL Draft, which begins Thursday.

The Steelers have seven picks in the seven-round, three-day draft, and few will be surprised if Pittsburgh uses one or more picks on defensive backs.

Even though the team rarely tips its hand when it comes to its draft plans, the Steelers aren’t denying the need to upgrade a secondary that ranked 30th in pass defense last year.

That player could wind up being Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander, who he believes he’s the best cornerback in the draft.

Just ask him.

“I’m going to say it – and a lot of you guys will say it – I’m the best corner in this draft class,” Alexander said. “If you look at stats, my numbers, who I am as a person, who I’m competing against – I went against the best receivers in the country. I went against more of the top receivers than anybody in this draft class, and I’m going step for step. I’m not just moving outside, I’m going inside. I’m playing zone, I’m able to blitz, I’m able to show my versatility, everything.”

Except, apparently, intercept the football. Though Alexander allowed opponents to complete less than 30 percent of the passes thrown his way last season, he failed to record an interception in his two seasons as a starter at Clemson.

But there could be mitigating circumstances.

“Just because a guy doesn’t have an interception doesn’t mean his receiver was the intended receiver,” said Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert. “Maybe he just did that good of a job at covering that the quarterback looked elsewhere and chose not to throw it. Sometimes guys have reputations where teams go into a game knowing he’s a pretty good cover corner and they’ll look elsewhere to throw the ball. So, sometimes that can be misleading. Sometimes guys with the higher stats have been challenged more.”

Alexander is considered a player who could be available when the Steelers make their pick in the first round (25th overall). But he is expected to be the fourth cornerback selected after Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves, Houston’s William Jackson and Ohio State’s Eli Apple.

Two other defensive backs who might be tempting to the Steelers are players who are recovering from injuries, West Virginia safety Karl Joseph and Virginia Tech cornerback Kendall Fuller.

Joseph is considered the second-best safety prospect behind Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey – a sure top-10 pick – despite suffering a torn ACL last October.

Prior to his injury, which he suffered during a non-contact drill in practice, Joseph was tied for the FCS lead with five interceptions and was well on his way to an All-America season.

Fuller, meanwhile, tried to play through a torn meniscus in his knee before ending his season after three games.

Prior to his injury, Fuller, who has three brothers who played in the NFL, had eight interceptions in 28 collegiate starts and was considered a possible top-15 pick.

Now, the question is, where do Fuller and Joseph fall in the pecking order, especially if they aren’t ready to participate right away?

“The doctors will project whether he should be ready,” said Colbert of selecting a player coming off an injury. “But we don’t know that until minicamp, OTA’s or maybe training camp. So, a lot of times you go into it with a mindset that this player may have to start the season on the PUP List and then factor that into your evaluation. If he is only going to be a PUP guy, can we take him in a certain round? If he exceeds that, then it’s a bonus.”

If the Steelers miss on a cornerback in the first round, they could select Miami’s Artie Burns, Baylor’s Xavien Howard or Will Redmond of Mississippi State in the second round, or Georgia Tech’s D.J. White, Cyrus Jones of Alabama, Jonathan Jones of Auburn or Tavon Young of Temple in the middle rounds.

At safety, Ohio State’s Vonn Bell, Boise State’s Darian Thompson, Florida’s Keanu Neal and Justin Simmons of Boston College could be of interest in the second and third rounds, while deeper into the draft the possibilities are West Virginia’s K.J. Dillon or Miami’s Deon Bush.