Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Countdown: Making the Case for CB Kevin Johnson

The Pittsburgh Steelers tend to draft the best player available, particularly in Round 1. They also have not drafted a defensive back in the first round since 2003, when they selected safety Troy Polamalu. But this year, the Steelers would be wise to break their first-round defensive back drought and combine need with talent by selecting Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson with the 22nd-overall pick.

Cornerback is not an area in which the Steelers are all that strong at present. Currently, their starting trio is made up of William Gay, Cortez Allen and Antwon Blake.

Blake was promoted to boundary corner in place of Allen in 2014, who eventually was demoted to slot cornerback and then ultimately benched. Brice McCain then held his own in the slot before leaving in free agency. Gay spent the most time on the field of the three, playing 878 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

Player	Snaps	Tkls.	INT	PD	Tgt.	Rec.	Rec.%	Yds.	YAC	TD
Gay	878	69	3	12	105	64	61.0%	918	327	5
Allen	463	41	2	11	57	34	59.6%	552	107	5
Blake	615	42	1	6	51	33	64.7%	422	231	1

Given the three corners who remain, it's clear that the Steelers need help at the position this year. And while players of value could be had later in the draft, this is not the time to wait. Johnson, whom the Steelers have expressed serious interest in during the predraft period, seems to be the perfect Round 1 fit. Head coach Mike Tomlin, general manager Kevin Colbert and defensive backs coach Carnell Lake were all present at Johnson's Wake Forest pro day; they also took Johnson out to dinner.

Johnson was a four-year starter at Wake Forest, with zero games missed because of injury. He was declared academically ineligible for the 2011 season, but he bounced back upon his return to the field in 2012, notching three interceptions, 18 passes defensed and 58 combined tackles, earning him honorable mention All-ACC honors.

In total, Johnson had 189 career tackles, eight tackles for a loss, a half-sack, seven interceptions and 38 passes defensed. However, the numbers do not tell the whole story as to why he'd not only be a fit in Pittsburgh, but also a rookie-year contributor who will push for starts.

Year	Tkls.	TFL	Sacks	INT	PD
2010	29	1.0	0	0	2
2012	58	3.5	0.5	3	18
2013	58	0.0	0	3	12
2014	44	3.5	0	1	6
Total	189	8.0	0.5	7	38

Though most draft experts regard Michigan State's Trae Waynes as the best overall cornerback in this year's draft, none may surpass Johnson's man-coverage skills. It would be an immense help to the Steelers' pass defense to have a cornerback who can truly be on an island and handle his assignments—something the team has lacked for years.

Both Lance Zierlein of NFL.com and Rob Rang of CBS Sports consider Johnson "natural" at man coverage. Rang notes that Johnson, "[shows] great quickness and fluidity to turn and run with receivers when in man coverage," while Zierlein adds that he "[h]as feet and discipline to play square and mirror against complex routes." 

But that's not all—Johnson can play zone coverage just as well, and is "[w]illing to drop shoulder and lay lumber" when he does, owing to what Rang calls his, "terrific burst back to the ball." He's also played outside and in the slot during his collegiate career, which would give the Steelers more versatility at the position.

There are a few concerns about Johnson, because no prospect is perfect. At 6'0" and 188 pounds, he's a bit light for his position. That's less of an issue in coverage, because, in Zierlein's words, he "plays stronger than his listed weight." He's also clearly tough—his size is not an injury concern, given that he's never missed a game. He's also done a good job of putting on weight, coming into college at 154 pounds and now pushing 190.

He needs to curb his aggressiveness at times. He was ejected in a game versus Louisville last year on a targeting call and has amassed nine penalties for 132 yards in the last two seasons. These are issues with technique, though, and bad habits can be coached out of players who are willing to do the work.

Pass defense was a weakness for the Steelers in 2014 for two reasons—a lack of a pass rush to disrupt passing plays up front and a struggling group of cornerbacks who could not limit yards and especially touchdowns in the secondary.

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press/Associated Press

As such, only eight teams were passed against more than the Steelers last season, and the defense ranked 27th in passing yards allowed. Of the 39 touchdowns the Steelers defense gave up, 30 were passing scores. 

Though pass rush is clearly also a need for the Steelers this year, the draft class is far deeper at edge-rushers who could make a significant first-year impact. Cornerback, while also deep, is top-heavy. The Steelers need someone to bring passing support on the back end, and that won't be found in later rounds.

Johnson is not only talented, he's durable. He can play all over the field, and whether in man, press-man or zone coverage, he's proven comfortable and effective no matter what assignment he is given. 

The Steelers need to have a secondary that matters. Allen, Blake and even Gay aren't striking fear into opposing quarterbacks or wide receivers. But Johnson, who is "[d]isruptive in press coverage," "[c]rowds wideouts on perimeter and constricts target area for deep boundary throws," "[u]sually followed [his] opponent's best receiver around the field," in Zierlein's words.

Thus, offenses will have to plan for a cornerback of his talent right away. Further, Johnson has the kind of natural talent that should only get better with the kind of coaching he'll receive in Pittsburgh. 

There may be other cornerbacks with Round 1 talent in this year's draft. There may be other cornerbacks the Steelers are interested in targeting in later rounds. But there is no better cornerback for the Steelers' immediate needs than Johnson and no better player worthy of their first-round pick. If the Steelers' goal this year is to make their defense better, then Johnson would be the perfect first step to doing so.