2014 NFL Draft: Pittsburgh Steelers taking long look at wide receivers and corners
By Matt Shetler
When the 2014 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday night, all eyes will be on Pittsburgh Steelers’ general manager Kevin Colbert.
Aug 10, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert reacts on the field before the Steelers host the New York Giants at Heinz Field. The New York Giants won 18-13. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Colbert has plenty of options when the Steelers are on the clock at No. 15 as the Steelers have plenty of needs, meaning that trading down is a serious option, something I looked at yesterday.
However when it all comes down to it, the decision may ultimately come down to selecting a wide receiver or cornerback.
Whether they are the team’s biggest needs are debatable, but there is no denying that both positions are ones of need for the Steelers. Does that mean that they should target either spot in the first round of what promises to be a very deep draft? That’s also something that is up for debate.
But Colbert has been spending extra time evaluating both positions.
"“We had to spend more time on the receivers and the [cornerbacks], especially the receivers because there were so many,” Colbert told ESPN’s Scott Brown. “We kept looking at each other saying, ‘This is really great.’ We have some nice options to us that in years past we haven’t.”“We took a lot of time really sorting through receivers, and it never got boring because there were a lot of exciting players,” he said. “We entered it thinking that and we came away sure [of it], and the corners weren’t far behind them.”"
While the Steelers have a history of not taking cornerbacks in the first round, the last of which was Chad Scott back in 1997, it may be a case that the Steelers target a corner early as they can get a quality receiver later on with so many talented ones in this draft class.
However there are also needs on the offensive and defensive lines that can be considered as well, but when it comes down to it the Steelers very well may look to target either a receiver or corner on Thursday night.