The Pittsburgh Steelers tied for the most interceptions in the NFL during 2022 with 20. Minkah Fitzpatrick led the way for the Steelers with 6 interceptions. The secondary that battled injuries all season long was a pleasant surprise for the Steelers. They did not have the benefit of the usual ferocious pass rush for half the season because of the TJ Watt injury and only had two defensive backs appear in all 17 games.
The Steelers, despite this production, recognize they do not have a true number-one cornerback and the position is commonly filled with the Steelers' upcoming first-round pick in multiple mock drafts. The only problem is that the Steelers have been lousy at picking cornerbacks in the draft for a long time. This is Omar Khan and Andy Weidl’s maiden voyage as the skipper and first mate of the Pittsburgh draft, and they are fighting recent history if they go with a cornerback in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
The cornerback class is very deep in 2023 and if the Steelers use one of their top three top 50 picks on a rookie solution, barring injury, they are not likely to go wrong. There is no Sauce Gardner among this crop of rookies, but there are 10-12 players who should be highly productive next season. However, the Steelers have another option if they want to build in the trenches.
In 2019, the Steelers were very high on Byron Murphy from the University of Washington. If the Steelers did not trade up for Devin Bush, they were rumored to be very interested in the former First Team All-PAC-12 defensive back. Murphy is currently ranked 42 in Pro Football Focus’s list of available free agents and the 25-year-old fits the Steelers' free agency model perfectly.
Steelers Thought Byron Murphy Was An Intriguing Prospect Before 2019 Draft
Murphy was the first pick of the second round by the Arizona Cardinals in 2019 and is an ascending player. The Cardinals allowed him to enter free agency by not signing him prior to the 2022 season and a back injury forced him onto the season-ending injured reserve after just nine games. He is expected to make a full recovery, but back injuries can be tricky, so the Steelers will have to do their due diligence.
The Cardinals initially played Murphy in the slot, but he demonstrated over the last two seasons that he could play the outside cornerback position and he did well in the role. The ability to play both positions and the fact that he will command a mid-range salary, makes him attractive for two reasons. The Steelers can bring in Murphy and re-sign Cam Sutton to give them a very flexible position group that has proven NFL experience. Secondly, the Steelers can fill needs in the draft that will be out of their price range in free agency.
Murphy, Sutton, and Levi Wallace would give the Steelers a very solid group that would not force one man to chase the opponent’s best wide receiver. Ahkello Witherspoon ended up being a disappointment this season and plugging Murphy in his position should improve the group as a whole. It would also allow them to upgrade the offensive and defensive lines and maybe add a weapon outside.
The Steelers could still select a player like Kelee Ringo or Emmanuel Forbes with the team’s second pick in the middle of the second round and allow them to break in slowly. Ringo and Forbes are capable of turning into premiere cornerbacks, but they would not be counted on to do so immediately. Wallace’s contract expires after next season and a rookie second-round pick could easily be ready by 2024 to assume a bigger role.
The Steelers have large contracts looming in their future and they have to hit big on this draft class to give themselves the flexibility to keep players like Alex Highsmith and Pat Freiermuth over the next couple of seasons. The contender clock is ticking while Kenny Pickett is on a rookie contract and a player like Murphy is exactly the kind of signing the Steelers can now afford and should exploit.
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