Apr 24, 2017 4 min read

PITTSBURGH – If there has been one position greatly affected by what has happened at on-campus workouts for this year’s NFL Draft, it has been the cornerbacks.

And not in a good way.

While on-campus workouts can help a player solidify his draft stock or perhaps drop it slightly if he doesn’t perform well, this year, it has really hurt three prospects.

Washington’s Sidney Jones suffered an Achilles’ tendon tear at his on-campus workout in early March, then, a couple of weeks later, UCLA’s Fabian Moreau tore a pectoral muscle. Add in a poor 40-yard dash time for Florida’s Teez Tabor, and you have three players who had been considered first-round picks who will be selected later in the three-day draft, which begins Thursday.

The Steelers have eight picks in the seven-round draft, including the 30th selection in the first round. They also have two picks in the third round.

Despite taking cornerback Artie Burns in the first round last year, the Steelers could add more talent to that position in this draft.

Burns paired with Ross Cockrell to form a young starting tandem, but nickel corner William Gay turns 32 this year and 2015 second-round draft pick Sequez Golson has yet to appear in an NFL game after shoulder and foot injuries have sidelined him in back-to-back years.

“Last year, I sat here and said we would view him as an extra draft pick,” Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said Monday. “Unfortunately, we can’t do that right now. Through no fault of his own, he has been injured two years in a row. In all honesty, I worry about a defensive back coming off a foot injury because you don’t know what he’s going to be like.”

The Steelers did sign free agent Coty Sensabaugh, who has starting experience, to add depth, but have little experienced depth.

The misfortune of Jones and Moreau and poor 40 time of Tabor have opened the door for some other corners to get first-round consideration at a position that might be the deepest in this draft.

Ohio State’s Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley could both find themselves selected in the top half of the first round. Jones’ teammate at Washington, Kevin King, a 6-3, 200-pound corner, Colorado’s Chidobe Awuzie, Alabama’s Marlon Humphrey and USC’s Adoree’ Jackson also could be selected in the first round.

“This is a great corner class,” said NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock. “If you don’t get one in the first round, you can come back in the second or third round and really help yourself.

“I can get through four rounds of quality corners, and I’ve never been able to say that before.”

Jones and Moreau will find themselves somewhere in that group of corners selected after the first round, depending on how trusting teams are of the healing process.

Jones compares favorably to former Washington teammate Marcus Peters, the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2015, while Moreau, solid in coverage and as a tackler, displayed outstanding athleticism at the combine, including running a 4.35-second 40.

“We have to rely on the doctors’ medical information and their prediction on when these guys will be available,” said Colbert. “There are some that may be available in June and others who may not be available until December. So there are different levels of readiness.”

Tabor, meanwhile, has to convince teams his playing speed is better than the slow 40 times he posted at the combine and his on-campus workout (4.62 and 4.7 seconds) mean he can’t hold up in coverage in the NFL.

“I just got a natural knack for the game of football,” said Tabor, who had eight interceptions and 28 pass defenses in three years as a starter at Florida. “I feel like when you put on the tape and you’re watching me play, you can understand why.

“I feel like I’m the best overall player in the draft, not just the best corner. That just is the confidence I have in myself and my ability to play the game of football.”

Other mid-round selections that could interest the Steelers include Tennessee’s Cameron Sutton, Clemson’s Cordrea Tankersley, Jalen Myrick of Minnesota, Rasual Douglas of West Virginia and Miami’s Corn Elder.

In later rounds, the Steelers could look at Brandon Wilson of Houston, Brendan Langley of Lamar and Nate Hairston of Temple.