Almost every single mock draft had the Pittsburgh Steelers taking a cornerback in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft — it's just that none of those mock drafts had the Steelers taking Artie Burns, cornerback out of Miami Univeristy, with that pick. So, as Burns gets ready to don the black and gold, here's a little bit about who he is. Burns is a top-notch athlete, who has speed to spare (he ran a 4.46 40-yard dash at the Combine.) He came to college as a highly touted recruit in both ... Read More
Pittsburgh Steelers 2016 Draft Grades
Round 1: Artie Burns, CB, Miami Everyone knew the Pittsburgh Steelers needed a cornerback in the draft, and even with the enticing prospect of taking UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, Pittsburgh stuck to its plan and grabbed Artie Burns, cornerback out of Miami University. Burns is a very talented cornerback who has weathered a difficult past and who is bursting at the seams with talent. Still, he feels a bit like a reach for the Steelers (he was a projected second-round pick.) Burns, who ... Read More
Mock Draft: Who should the Steelers select in rounds six and seven?
In the first half of this mock draft, I said the Pittsburgh Steelers would take, in order, Mackensie Alexander, Karl Joseph, D.J. Reader and Dak Prescott. However, the Steelers still have plenty more picks. So, knowing how hard it is to predict the notoriously unpredictable later rounds, here are my predictions for who the Steelers will take with their last three draft picks (the team’s fifth-round pick was traded to the Eagles last season for Brandon Boykin.) SIXTH ROUND (220th Overall ... Read More
Steelers mock draft predictions: Will it finally be a cornerback?
It's officially NFL draft week, and with the draft set to begin Thursday night, there's been plenty of speculation on who the Pittsburgh Steelers will select when they are slotted to make the 25th selection of the first round. Will they select a cornerback for the first time since the Steelers selected Chad Scott way back in 1997? If you ask the majority of Steelers fans, a cornerback would be the best choice and based on what many of the latest mock drafts are predicting, they might just ... Read More
Should the Steelers target free agent cornerback Josh Norman?
When news broke yesterday that Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman would become an unrestricted free agent after his franchise tag was surprisingly rescinded, it presented an interesting opportunity for the Pittsburgh Steelers: Should they try to pick up Norman and get him wearing the black and gold? The Steelers’ secondary is obviously in need of some serious repair. Last season, Pittsburgh allowed an average of a little more than 270 pass yards per game, which put the team at 30th in ... Read More
Should Robert Nkemdiche be on Steelers draft board?
His pedigree and talent are undeniable. Robert Nkemdiche is a physical specimen for sure, measuring 6 feet 4 inches and 295 pounds. For someone so large, he also displays intriguing athleticism and quickness. His on-field skills tantalize NFL GMs, but his documented incidents and quirky attitude off-field cast a shadow of doubt. Nkemdiche has been tabbed a can’t-miss prospect since high school. During his senior year at Grayson High School in Loganville, Ga., Nkemdiche was tabbed the top ... Read More
The good, the bad and the ugly of the Steelers’ 2016 schedule
What a difference a year can make. At least that seems to be the case for the Pittsburgh Steelers when looking at the 2016 regular season schedule released Thursday night. After dealing with a schedule last season that was statistically the most difficult in the league, the Steelers got what, at least on paper, looks to be a considerably less daunting path to the playoffs. The overall winning percentage of the Steelers opponents in 2016 is .473, a far cry from 2015 where the percentage was ... Read More
Steelers sever ties with cornerback Cortez Allen
The Pittsburgh Steelers have severed ties with cornerback Cortez Allen. Allen, who was with the Steelers since 2011, was released Friday afternoon. Allen and the Steelers agreed to a big, four-year contract in 2014 that would pay him $24.6 million. However, Allen didn’t live up to the dollar signs. He had an ugly 2014 that ended when he suffered a thumb injury that kept him out for the final five games. And Allen only played one game in the 2015 season: the season opener against the New ... Read More
Breaking down the Steelers’ 2016 regular season schedule
It looks like business will be booming for the Pittsburgh Steelers based on the 2016 regular season schedule that was just released. For the most part, the Steelers have a pretty easy schedule — especially compared with last season’s schedule, which was ranked as one of the hardest in the NFL. This season’s schedule is tied for 23th in strength of schedule and has no extended roadtrips. It also features four primetime games and three holiday games — Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s ... Read More
Looking to avoid playoff woes, could Steelers draft a running back?
After potentially seeing their playoff hopes dashed by running back injuries, the Pittsburgh Steelers learned a lot last season about not having enough depth when it came to the running back game. Last offseason, the Steelers signed DeAngelo Williams, which paid off when Le’Veon Bell missed the first two games of the season due to a drug-related suspension. It paid off again when Bell suffered an MCL tear in Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals and was out for the remainder of the ... Read More