The Steelers' Defense Needs Physical Tenacity At Cornerback In 2023 And This Guy Is The Answer

Welcome to the pre-draft season! Leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft starting on April 27th, we will be releasing draft profiles of prospects who could potentially see themselves on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Next up…

Steelers’ Draft Prospect: Julius Brents (Cornerback), Kansas State, Senior

OVERVIEW: The Steelers’ secondary is in need of a facelift. In the flurry of free agency moves throughout the week, we’ve seen Cam Sutton leave Pittsburgh in favor of the Detroit Lions with a much-deserved pay raise. In turn, the Steelers added former Pro Bowl and future Hall of Fame cornerback Patrick Peterson into the mix for the next two seasons. But with Levi Wallace mixed with James Pierre and Ahkello Witherspoon competing for the outside spots, the Steelers need young, top-tier talent to continue their construction of a strong cornerback group paired with Peterson and Minkah Fitzpatrick. 

In addition, finding the right piece to fit the Steelers’ zone-based defensive scheme is critical in making sure the appropriate pick is used wisely. If the Steelers somehow miss their guy in the opening round, they’ll most likely be looking on the second day for a physical cornerback who thrives in zone coverage. That is exactly what Julius Brents brings to the field.

PROS: Measuring 6’3” and weighing right around 200 pounds, Brents is one of the biggest cornerback prospects available in this year’s class. He brings a unique blend of length and size at the outside cornerback position that scouts like to see in young prospects. He plays with a sense of tenacity and physicality that screams “AFC North football.” Brents fits best in a zone defense. He is able to use his size and physicality at the line to knock receivers off their routes and is able to maintain coverage beyond five yards.

Against the run, Brents uses his size to his advantage. He is able to diagnose the play, break into the backfield, and wrap up the ball carrier. In addition, he’s able to take on blockers to open up stop-gaps for the other defenders to get home. While sitting in his zone, Brents is an effective spy to the quarterback. He is able to sit back, read the eyes of the quarterback, and keep the play in front of him. In his senior year of college, Brents tallied four interceptions, four pass deflections, and forced a fumble. 

In the Big 12 Conference championship game against TCU, he squared off against top-ranked receiver prospect Quentin Johnston. After allowing three catches in the first half, Brents adjusted well at halftime and contained Johnston to a single reception in the entire second half. Not to mention, he was able to make an interception in the endzone in one-on-one coverage against Johnston. That championship game propelled Brents’ draft stock through the roof and is making him to be considered one of the most underrated cornerback prospects in the draft.

CONS: With Brents succeeding more in a zone-based scheme, this already places a ceiling in his utilization in the NFL. He isn’t too versatile in where he can play in the secondary and that plays into his draft considerations. Although his is a large, lengthy defender, his top-end speed is lacking. He can keep pace with receivers up to ten yards, but he has gotten burned by faster wideouts on deep routes. Needless to say, this is why he fits best within a zone. Brents needs safety help over the top to effectively cover receivers. Although Brents held Johnston to four receptions in that conference championship, he allowed 139 yards on those four receptions. That equates to just under 35-yards per reception allowed. Brents will need to find a way to accelerate his play speed to truly succeed at the next level.

Brents’ physicality is also a double-edged sword. He tends to bite hard on play-action and misdirection plays, leaving his receiver to run free. His route identification is also lacking and falls for receivers’ slant-and-go routes. He also falls for false route tops and breaks hard at receivers when they stop in their route, only to burn him down the sideline. Further, Brents’ physical play style has to adapt to the NFL rule book. There were times in college where he led with his head on hard hits. If that doesn’t lead to a flag in the NFL, it could lead to a series of head injuries and a short shelf life in the NFL.

DRAFT PROJECTION: 3rd Round

Although Brents’ performance in his final college game boosted his draft stock, his game speed and scheme-dependent skillset is limiting how high he can go up draft boards. It will take a specific team, with a specific defense, looking for a specific player profile for Brents to ear his name called in the early rounds. But with more talented and versatile cornerback prospects sitting ahead of Brents, that will cause him to float around until later in the second day of the draft. I consider him as a solid third-round selection.

VERDICT: For the Steelers, I think Brents would be a great fit. He wouldn’t be thrown into the fire and left on an island as a rookie and will have Peterson’s veteran savvy to learn from. His physical presence is one Steelers fans love and he fits the mold of that prototypical AFC North defender. Although the Steelers haven’t had the best luck in drafting cornerbacks as of late, the third round is a nice spot to call a developmental player who can be coached up in technique and not so much how to operate within the schematics of the defense. Brents has all the right traits the Steelers look for in defensive players and his tenacious play style would be welcomed in Pittsburgh. At the Steelers’ 80th overall selection, I think he’s a perfect fit.

Where do you see Brents going in April? Would you want to see him in the black and gold? Let us know in the comments!

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