On the eve of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals exercised the fifth-round option on cornerback William Jackson III, their first-round pick from the 2016 NFL Draft. Although he spent his rookie season on injured reserve, Jackson has played at a high level for the past two years and has earned the fifth year of his rookie contract with quality play on the field.
Unfortunately, this provides an appropriate opportunity to reflect on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ own first-round pick from that year, Artie Burns, the cornerback whom they drafted one selection later.