Greetings and welcome to the Terrible Towel Tales, where every Monday through Saturday we will feature some of the most recent tales that are making the rounds in Steelers media for your reading enjoyment. In the news of today…
In terms of team needs, the Pittsburgh Steelers almost entirely checked off every box at the NFL Draft.
However, the one spot under scrutiny that got little attention was outside the corner.
According to an analysis of the post-draft free agent market, Pittsburgh might still be lucky:
Although Gilmore will turn 34 at the beginning of the 2024 season, he has shown promise in his three one-year assignments with various teams since 2022. In 2023, he received a 69.3 PFF coverage grade, giving up 734 yards and five touchdowns in 622 covering snaps with a total of 11 interceptions and pass breakups. The Steelers still need a cornerback, as they played Cover 1 on 25.8% of passing downs in the previous season—the Cowboys were one of just five teams to do it more frequently.
A few months ago, the Steelers made the decision to release future Hall of Fame wide receiver Patrick Peterson ahead of his free agency, opting instead to find their next outside corner on the trade market.
They think Donte Jackson, who was obtained through the Diontae Johnson deal, embodies that. However, Jackson has struggled to maintain his health throughout his career and is more of an insider than an outsider, which is why Pittsburgh prefers him in the corner position.
Ryan Watts, a Texas defensive back, was chosen by the team with their last draft choice. Watts is versatile and could earn a job at cornerback, but it would be difficult to expect him to start opposite Joey Porter Jr. in my opinion. Instead, I believe Watts would be best served in a safety role.
And look, I realize it’s unrealistic to expect a 34-year-old cornerback to play at a high level for the entire season, but Gilmore started all 16 games for Dallas last year, earning a career-high number of tackles, several interceptions, and double-digit pass breakups. Thus, if you’re Pittsburgh, you give a one-year contract extension to an established player a lot of thought.
