The Pittsburgh Steelers haven't been shy about their interest in adding to the cornerback room. While they replaced Cam Sutton with future Hall of Famer Patrick Peterson, it remains a position of need, particularly for the long-term. Well, lately, they've shown their interest in a particular defensive back in the 2023 NFL Draft, Kelee Ringo out of the University of Georgia. Ringo saw his draft stock fall a bit throughout the 2022 season, not particularly due to poor play.
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The Steelers will greatly miss cornerback Cam Sutton in 2023, who spent six seasons with the team.
Other guys, like Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon, improved their stock a ton, jumping over Ringo in the process. At first, it seemed like the Steelers weren't too interested in Ringo. There continues to be smoke between the two sides though, as a few weeks ago, Pittsburgh used one of its 30 pre-draft visits on the cornerback. Additionally, it was reported on Wednesday by Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network that the Steelers had a private dinner meeting with Ringo.
Both the Steelers and Saints held private dinner meetings with Georgia CB Kelee Ringo over the last few weeks, per source.
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) April 5, 2023
Headlining name in the corner class.
Steelers showing clear interest in two CB's
The other notable cornerback that the Steelers have shown a ton of interest in is Joey Porter Jr. out of Penn State. If it came down to a decision, it would be interesting to see which player the franchise would prefer. While Ringo could be in play with the 17th overall pick, that may be considered a bit of a reach at this point. Ringo will likely be available at 32, as he may have the highest bust potential of the top cornerbacks.
Photo Credit: Brad Mills | USA Today Sports
Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks breaks up a pass against Northwestern in a game in 2022.
Their interest in the likes of Emmanuel Forbes and Deonte Banks has been a bit more quiet, although they have met with both of them as well. We know the Steelers' particular interest in Maryland players over the years, so Banks remains a possibility, albeit less of one than the others. Gonzalez and Witherspoon, widely regarded as the top two defensive backs in the draft, are unlikely to fall to the Steelers at 17.
That probably explains the lack of rumors there, although if one of them were to fall, it would be quite hard to pass up. Regardless, if you are reading the tea leaves, Pittsburgh is making it clear that they like Ringo. Over the years, they have been methodical in their interest in prospects in the pre-draft process. In the first draft with Omar Khan at the helm, we will see if things remain the same.
Which cornerback do you want the team to select in the upcoming draft? If you had to make a decision between the two, would you take Porter Jr. or Ringo? Are there any mid-round CB's the team should target? Share your thoughts below yinz!
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