Steelers Prospect Watch: Harlan Miller

What round will the Pittsburgh Steelers target a cornerback in the NFL Draft?

With NFL Draft days away, teams are in crunch time finalizing their draft board.  The Steelers are hoping to upgrade their defense with a majority of their pick. One area of need is cornerback, the question remain when will the team select a corner?

The Steelers did draft two corners in last year’s draft, selecting Senquez Golson in the second round out of Ole Miss and Doran Grant in the fourth round out of Ohio St.  Either played a significant role on the Steelers in 2015 with Grant only seeing brief action in 3 games while Golson missed the entire season with an injury.  Willie Gay and Ross Cockrell are the most experienced cornerbacks on the roster.

One corner the Steelers could target on Day 3 of this draft is Southeastern Louisiana’s Harlan Miller.  This small school product was a 3-time first team All-Southland corner after not playing the position until college.  He left school ranked fourth all-time in interceptions with 11.

Miller is a very fluid athlete, specializing in man coverage and off-coverage.  He loves to press at the line of scrimmage, jamming the wide receiver to make him uncomfortable.  His quickness really shows up when Miller reacts on the ball, showing his on passes thrown in front of him.  Technique and mechanics will both translate into the pros despite playing against lower competition.

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This quick footed corner does get a little wild with this jam coverage at times.  Miller is known for grabbing receivers when he is beat, drawing penalties.  He has also been burned by receivers after losing his step in the press.  Even with his weaknesses, Miller plays with a chip on his shoulder and plays very aggressive in the run game.

Next: Steelers Prospect Watch: Jayron Kearse

If the Steelers do choice to wait until Day 3 to take a corner, Miller is a hard-nosed cornerback who could make an impact not only on defense but as a returner.  Do not be surprised if the Black & Gold take a chance on this high upside corner.