1997 was the year and Chad Scott was the man. He was the last cornerback selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the NFL Draft. Since then, the Steelers have relied on cornerbacks taken in the middle rounds of the draft to hold down the position on their defense and by and large that was a somewhat successful formula.
In recent years however, the cornerbacks selected by the Steelers have not exactly worked out. Combined with a sketchy pass rush, the Steelers’ pass defense has been inconsistent at best. With that thought in mind and a cornerback-heavy draft, many expect the drought to end with a cornerback taken in the first round next month.