The Pittsburgh Steelers addressed cornerback with the first pick of Day 2 in the 2023 draft. This year, though, it’s possible the Steelers don’t even wait until their first pick at No. 20 overall to draft another cornerback.
Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline reported on April 23 that the Steelers are pursuing the possibility of acquiring the No. 12 overall pick from the Denver Broncos to draft Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
“I’m told the Steelers and Broncos are talking trade as Pittsburgh is another team that is targeting Mitchell and would move up to draft him,” wrote Pauline.
Mitchell is the only prospect who ESPN, Pro Football Focus and Bleacher Report all have ranked as one of the best two cornerbacks in the 2024 draft class. Both ESPN and Bleacher Report have Mitchell rated as the best cornerback in the class.
With his size, speed and strength, NFL scouts project Mitchell to be a complete cornerback at the next level.
“He has the strength and physicality to defend the run and the speed and ball skills to cover downfield,” wrote Bleacher Report’s Cory Giddings.
“He has the ceiling of a top-15 selection, with the potential of being a Day 1 starter and lengthy NFL career.”
At the 2024 NFL combine, Mitchell ran the 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds. That was the second-fastest time among cornerbacks at the combine.
How Quinyon Mitchell Could Fit With the Steelers
The Steelers acquired cornerback Donte Jackson from the Carolina Panthers on March 12. Given that the Steelers shipped starting wide receiver Diontae Johnson to Carolina in the deal, it would be surprising if Jackson doesn’t have a significant role for Pittsburgh during 2024.
But cornerback depth is still a concern for the Steelers. Plus, the idea of pairing Mitchell with 2023 No. 32 overall pick Joey Porter Jr. should be very enticing. Together, Mitchell and Porter could give Pittsburgh one of the top young cornerback tandems in the league.
There aren’t any cornerbacks projected to be a top 10 pick in this year’s class. But Mitchell is one of the elite prospects to grab at cornerback this spring. He also will almost certainly be gone by No. 20, which is currently where the Steelers will pick.
“Mitchell possesses a gumbo of traits, with size, strength and speed filling up the pot,” wrote NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. “He’s built like a running back, tackles like a safety and has the ball skills of a cornerback. Mitchell can play in a variety of coverages and was the clear-cut top cornerback at the Senior Bowl when working against the top receivers in practice.
“Mitchell’s traits, play demeanor and special-teams potential should make him attractive to teams in the market for CB help.”
In 13 games last season, Mitchell posted 18 pass defenses with 1 interception and 41 total tackles. He had 5 interceptions with 19 pass defenses during 2022.
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