The Pittsburgh Steelers will be hosting former Pitt and Aliquippa cornerback M.J. Devonshire on a pre-draft visit, he told Steelers Now at Pitt’s pro day on Wednesday.
Devonshire, a 5-foot-10 3/4, 186-pound cornerback, played almost exclusively outside cornerback in Pitt’s quarters scheme the last three seasons, but projects to play either inside or outside cornerback at the NFL level.
He had his best collegiate season as a redshirt senior in 2023, when he recorded 32 tackles, 10 passes defended and four interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Devonshire had eight interceptions and three pick sixes in his three years with the Panthers.
A four-star prospect coming out of Aliquippa, Devonshire initially attended Kentucky, where he played sparingly in two seasons with the Wildcats. He transferred back home to Pitt in 2021, winning an ACC title with the Panthers that year.
In addition to his ability at cornerback, Devonshire has been a solid contributor on special teams. He averaged 7.4 yards per punt return in his college career, with one touchdown.
Steelers Draft Profile: Battle-Tested Pitt CB M.J. Devonshire Brings Big-Play Ability
At the 2024 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Devonshire ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash, with a 1.54-second 10-yard split. He posted a 38.5-inch vertical jump, a 10-foot-4 broad jump, a 4.35-second shuttle and a 7.12-second three-cone drill. At the Pitt pro day on Wednesday, he did 10 bench press reps and cut his three-cone time to 6.84.
Because Devonshire played his high school and college football in close proximity to the Steelers (Pitt’s pro day was held at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex indoor facility that Pitt shares with the Steelers), he does not count against the team’s maximum of 30 pre-draft visitors.
The Steelers currently do not have a player with extensive background as a slot cornerback on their 90-man offseason roster, and head coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged this week that there is work to be done in that area of roster construction.
Nick Farabaugh provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
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