Steelers Select Non-Alabama SEC Cornerback In Mel Kiper's First Mock Draft Of 2024

It's mock draft season for the entire Pittsburgh Steelers fan base. One of the more exciting parts of every offseason is trying to predict which way the front office will go with their selections when late April rolls around. The franchise has plenty of needs on both sides of the ball entering the 2024 offseason and could go a number of different ways with their first-round selection. General Manager Omar Khan and his partner-in-crime Andy Weidl will have their hands full trying to turn the roster into a legitimate championship contender. There will be plenty of predictions the next few months.

One of the more respected draft analysts throughout the NFL is ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. He released his first mock draft of 2024 on Tuesday morning and while many Steelers fans are high on University of Alabama cornerbacks Ga'Quincy "Kool-Aid" McKinstry and Terrion Arnold, Kiper Jr. has the team selecting University of Georgia cornerback, Kamari Lassiter. He brought up Joey Porter Jr. and the need to expand on that selection from 2023.

"Sure, the Steelers hit on cornerback Joey Porter Jr. with the top pick of Round 2 a year ago, but this is a defense that saw 33-year-old corner Patrick Peterson play more than 1,000 snaps, so there's room for an injection of youth at the position."

He continued his analysis on Lassiter and Steeler Nation will certainly like the prospect of Porter Jr. and Lassiter turning into a dynamic duo on the outside for the foreseeable future in Pittsburgh.

"Lassiter emerged as a lockdown corner for the Bulldogs in 2023, though he had just one career interception, which came all the way back in 2021. Still, he allowed a total of nine receptions for 91 yards as the nearest defender in coverage, and none of those passes went for scores. He could form an elite duo with Porter."

It would be fun to see two young corners on rookie deals playing in the Steelers' secondary shutting down opposing wide receivers. It would really open up Minkah Fitzpatrick to be a ball-hawking safety while also giving the defense the ability to shut down a team's offense that has two stud wide receivers.

Many have also forgotten about Cory Trice Jr. While no one can rely on a 2023 seventh-round pick to turn into a superstar, he was widely touted out of college and looked at as a steal when the Steelers selected him. His rookie year came to an end before it even started when he tore his ACL in training camp. He was expected to make a full recovery and be ready for 2024.

There are more questions than answers in the secondary, however. Patrick Peterson looked like his age caught up to him in 2023 while Levi Wallace is going to be an unrestricted free agent come the new league year. There definitely needs to be some depth added to the cornerback room and the idea of Pittsburgh drafting the position early on shouldn't be ruled out.

With Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin expected to return in 2024, he will want as many weapons as possible. There are needs at nearly every defensive position, but Kiper Jr's opinion is that cornerback is the biggest one of them all. Lassiter played in 44 games for the Bulldogs and this would stick with the recent trend of the Steelers liking players from Gerogia.

Steelers Need Another Home Run Of A Draft To Be Contenders In 2024

Khan's first draft as the general manager was an extremely successful one, but that is now in the past. He set up the team for future success in some areas and now it's time to build off that. With needs in several places on both sides of the ball, it will be critical to get the picks right once again if the Steelers want to contend for a Super Bowl in the near future.

Do you like Kiper Jr's selection of Lassiter to the Steelers? Let us know in the comments below!

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