A position of need for the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, whether it be the draft or free agency, is cornerback. CB Joey Porter Jr. was a home run selection last year, but Pittsburgh needs to pair him with someone, and CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli believes that someone should be Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry.
“I won’t be surprised if the Steelers make a move for a QB in the first round, but based on how this mock went, I have them addressing their second-biggest need,” wrote Fornelli. “McKinstry strikes me as a Pittsburgh Steeler. They may not want to use a first-rounder on another corner after taking Joey Porter Jr. to start the second round last season, but McKinstry fits what the Steelers like to do.”
McKinstry was great for the Crimson Tide in his three years there, intercepting two passes and breaking up 23 others. In his three years, PFF has him down for allowing only three touchdowns, and this past season he, like Porter the year before at Penn State, was rarely targeted, only seeing 39 passes all year.
Kool-Aid McKinstry also has good size, standing at 6’1 and weighing 195 pounds he fits what Pittsburgh wants: big, strong cornerbacks who can press wide receivers at the line of scrimmage. Steelers Depot’s own Jonathan Heitritter wrote and showed how effective McKinstry is in press coverage in his draft profile.
There are some other needs for Pittsburgh, like center or even quarterback, as Fornelli mentioned, but with how important it is to slow down opponents passing game in the modern NFL, selecting a cornerback makes sense. Additionally, I have my doubts that the Steelers would select a quarterback in the first round this year, given how Steelers President Art Rooney II has said he wished he got to see more of Pickett at the end of last season.
A lot can change between now and the NFL Draft, but Pittsburgh will certainly be addressing the cornerback position by the end of the Draft. Will it be in the first round? That may depend on how the board falls and if the team made any moves in free agency. But if Pittsburgh can land another strong, physical corner in McKinstry to pair with Porter, I can’t imagine too many people being upset.
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