Cornerback or tackle?: Former NFL GM has specific opinions on Steelers draft options

While a lot of names are being thrown around as candidates for the Pittsburgh Steelers to draft at pick No. 17, a popular plan of attack seems to have emerged within the fan base.

Get the best remaining offensive tackle at 17, then the best remaining cornerback with the pick acquired from the Chicago Bears at No. 32.

Or vice versa.

I’d be down for that. Makes sense to me.

The Steelers need a talented corner capable of playing a lot this year, and they sure could use a top-32 worthy tackle to challenge Dan Moore on the left side.

So, during a pre-draft media call Wednesday, I asked SiriusXM draft analyst Mark Dominik which of those positions had more depth.

In other words, depending on which position the Steelers may select in Round 1 between corner and offensive tackle, which of those two positions is more likely to yield a better player at pick No. 32 when the Steelers get on the board again?

“I would say that the corner, you’re going to have a better shot of hitting,” Dominik said of the depth towards pick No. 32. “I think that there’s going to be a little bit better chance that there’s going to be somebody you’re going to like at the cornerback spot than I think the tackle spot. I think the tackle spot is going to hit a little bit of a wall once we get past some of the bigger names … I think there’s enough at that corner spot where I think you feel more comfortable saying, ‘I’ve got a better chance of being right’ there.”

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Some quality corners that Dominik mentioned who could be available from the 32nd pick all the way through the third round include Kelee Ringo (Georgia), Deonte Banks (Maryland), D.J. Turner (Michigan) and Julius Brents (Kansas State).

Dominik, a former general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said the Steelers should be especially cognizant of that if one tackle in particular manages to slip to No.17.

“I don’t know if he’s going to be there, but I love (Georgia’s) Broderick Jones. If he’s there. I turn in that (card) in two seconds,” Dominik said. “If Broderick Jones is there and he happens to fall to that (slot), I think that’s an easy selection. Darnell Wright (Tennessee), I don’t know if that is as easy. I think that that’s where I may have to take the chance and take the corner over the tackle just because I think the corner is gonna have better value. For me if Broderick is there, I take him. If not that, I bet you it’s more going towards the other side.”

I’ll second that opinion. Jones is the player I’m hoping the Steelers manage to get, based on the likelihood of his availability.

If the Steelers decide to take a cornerback in the first round and try to hit on a tackle in the second round, Dominik pointed at Oklahoma’s Anton Harrison and North Dakota State’s Cody Mauch as candidates.

Dominik touched on a number of other topics associated with Steelers draft conversation.

• On Joey Porter Jr.: The Penn State cornerback (and son of the former Steelers coach and player) is widely believed to be coveted by the Steelers.

“I think he’s really good at playing up at the line of scrimmage through his length,” Dominik said. “When you get up next to him and stand by him, you’re kind of blown away by the size of the man (6-foot-2, 194 pounds). Yet the athleticism is there. I think when you watch his tape, I feel like he hasn’t even become the player he’s going to become. I think he’s going to get better as he gets to the NFL because, even though he’s got the size, I don’t think he’s stiff in his hips … I think that’s going to make him a lot more exciting to put on your football team.”

Dominik also sees some versatility in Porter’s game.

“With the size and frame and the way he uses his hands, to me, you can play him off, and he’s okay there,” Dominik continued. “I don’t think he’s as good as an off player, but I think he’ll grow as he continues to grow in the National Football League. I think he’s good at the line of scrimmage. Go and beat people up, and I think he’s more athletic than I think people realize. I think there’s still a lot of growth in front of him.”

• On Jalen Carter: The Georgia defensive lineman is believed by some to be the target of the Steelers if they pull off a much discussed trade up to the ninth spot in the draft.

Many draft analysts feel that Carter is the best talent in the entire draft. But he has off-the-field issues, related to a vehicle racing incident that resulted in the deaths of two fellow members of the Georgia program.

“He’s a tricky one. The talent is elite,” Dominik said. “It’s not a heavy defensive tackle draft class. That would make him stand even more out on the ledge … That’s where those top-30 visits — and I know he only chose top 10 (drafting) teams — but those 30 visits are really going to tell the story. We’ll get a good sense of where he’s gonna go because of that, but I think he still goes in the top 10. I don’t think he’s going to fall out of that.”

• On Zay Flowers: Before the planned acquisition of Allen Robinson, the Boston College receiver and teammate of Tomlin’s son, Dino, had been mocked to the Steelers in the first or second rounds by various outlets.

“I think he’s dynamic. He’s so explosive, and he’s so strong for his size. He didn’t run quite as fast, but there’s a lot of Tyreek Hill,” Dominik said. “Kind of pop plays. He’s a really good route runner. He catches away from his body. He can go and adjust. He’s not afraid to give up his body. He has got sideline awareness. But I also think he’s really good in terms of when he gets the ball in his hands. He has vision. I’m a huge Zay Flowers fan … He moves hiddenly on the board, but I think clubs like him a lot more than they are admitting.”