Steelers Scout Ike Taylor Admits Team Is Going For Tall, Lengthy Cornerbacks After Latest Signing

For years now, the Pittsburgh Steelers have struggled to identify cornerback talent when it comes to the NFL Draft. Since Ike Taylor retired back in 2015, the team has swung and missed on more cornerbacks than they've hit on. That includes the old regime of former General Manager Kevin Colbert, as Cam Sutton was essentially the only successful cornerback that was picked between in a 10-year span.

Sutton, a third round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, spent the first six seasons of his career in Pittsburgh and became quite a player. Unfortunately, he left the team via free agency this past offseason. So what has went wrong in the team's evaluation of talent at the position? Philosophy, or so it seems. In an appearance on the Bleav In Steelers podcast featuring Mark Bergin, Taylor gave insight as to how the team pursues the cornerback position now.

"Give me them Mel Blounts, give me them Rod Woodsons, give me them Ike Taylors. That's all you are basically saying. Give me them guys who, when the ball is in the air, the quarterback has to pinpoint every time. Them quarterbacks, regardless of if they're going through pressure or not, they aren't pinpointing it every time. Gimme... them tall corners over six feet," Taylor said. "That's what the Steelers are trying to go back to, in my mind, but we'll see."

In case you forgot, the Steelers hired Taylor as a scout back in March. In other words, he knows a thing or two about what's going on in the building. The team's actions over the last six months certainly back up what Taylor said to Bergin. When Sutton left in free agency, cornerback became an even bigger need. As a result, the team addressed it in a big (no pun intended) way at the 2023 NFL Draft.

It all started with Joey Porter Jr., who was taken with the first pick of the second round in 2023. He had already been linked to the Steelers due to his family connection, but the scouting department, including Taylor, loved Porter's skill set. They weren't done there, as they scooped up what was considered one of the steals of the draft in Cory Trice Jr. in the seventh round. The Purdue product was expected to go in the middle rounds, so the AFC North squad got great value.

Have The Steelers Found Their Future At Cornerback?

The two rookies were impressive throughout the summer, as Trice was the one that actually garnered more buzz. People even began to call them "Avatar" cornerbacks due to their stature. Veteran free agent signing Patrick Peterson was one of the first ones to give them that label. Unfortunately, Trice suffered a season-ending injury in the early portions of August.

While Porter has yet to play a significant amount of snaps yet, he's looked like the real deal when he's seen the field. Just ahead of Week 7, the Steelers made a somewhat surprising move by releasing Desmond King. The veteran never really got a true chance in Pittsburgh, as he played just one defensive snap for them this season. His replacement? Darius Rush out of South Carolina.

Rush was actually in this past year's draft class, as the Indianapolis Colts took him in the fifth round with the 138th overall pick. The Colts cut him just before the season began, as he was unable to make their 53-man roster. Since then, he's been on the Kansas City Chiefs' practice squad. So what does Rush bring to the table? Well, similar to Porter and Trice, he brings size and length.

It's a new model that the Steelers seem to be going after at the cornerback position, led by Taylor's scouting input. As Taylor mentions, he was once considered that same archetype, as he was considered a bigger defensive back at 6'2". He played all 12 of his NFL seasons with the Steelers, and the new regime now seems to want more players similar to him. Size and length. 

For years, it seemed like many teams, including the Steelers, tried to select cornerbacks that could keep up with the quick, speedy wide receivers. While speed and quickness remain important attributes for cornerbacks, they aren't the end-all, be-all. For example, Porter's size, length, and speed combination gives him the perfect traits to become a successful NFL cornerback. Between Porter, Trice, and now Rush, the Steelers' actions certainly back up Taylor's comments.

Have the Steelers found two of their future CBs in Porter and Trice? Do you think Rush can be a significant contributor for this team? How big of a hire was Taylor for the scouting department?