Senquez Golson to Pittsburgh: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

The Pittsburgh Steelers chose to use their second-round selection to try to add talent to the defensive secondary with Mississippi cornerback Senquez Golson. The play of the Steelers secondary was marred by a distinct lack of turnovers and far too many big plays allowed in 2014. The hope is that Golson corrects both of these deficiencies.

These two areas were the impetus for the Steelers picking Golson over a cornerback like P.J. Williams of Florida State or Quinten Rollins of Miami (Ohio). The reason I offer those two players as examples is that there is one area where both are superior to Golson.

It’s all about size. Golson’s height (5’9”) is a concern, as this team already has more than its share of short cornerbacks. With Golson in the mix, the Steelers cornerbacks measure up like this:

• Senquez Golson: 5’9”
• B.W. Webb: 5’10”
• William Gay: 5’10”
• Antwon Blake: 5’9”
• Kevin Fogg: 5’9”
• Cortez Allen: 6’1”

Ironically, Allen is the only cornerback on the list with any real size, and there’s no guarantee he is going to ever get back to the form that earned him a big contract extension before the start of the season.

Nevertheless, Golson is in the fold now, and the coaches have seen something in him that made them believe he was worth the pick. What did they see? He does have the rare ability to turn and chase while keeping his head on a swivel. It is a lost art in football for defensive backs to turn their head and come up with a play on the ball in the air.

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Steelers secondary coach Carnell Lake on Golson: "Really a ball-hawking CB who has very good quickness, ball skills and anticipation."

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) May 2, 2015"

Golson is great at locating the football and timing pass breakups and interceptions. 2014 was the year he really came into his own in coverage. Golson finished the season with 10 interceptions and eight more passes defended. It seemed that every time you put on Mississippi film, he was closing on the football and making an acrobatic play.

The strength of his game is in zone coverage. In the NFL, the Steelers will hope this translates to the off-man coverage they play. Golson likely isn’t big or strong enough to line up outside on a consistent basis, but he should flourish in the slot. The Steelers have made moves to improve their ability to rush the passer, which should afford a player like Golson opportunities for turnovers on rushed throws.

There’s no doubt that if Golson were a few inches taller, his instincts and ball skills would have put him in the conversation to be among the top cornerbacks in this draft. Unfortunately, he isn’t a few inches taller, and for all his skills, the role Golson can play in this defense will be specific in the beginning.

Perhaps the best thing that could happen to him is that Allen turns things around and becomes a starting cornerback. If Pittsburgh can count on him to line up over the opposition’s top wide receiver, Golson could line up outside against the No. 2. He’s going to get more throws his way, and that could result in more turnovers. 

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Whatever you say about Golson ... he had 10 picks last year. The Steelers had 11. As a team. So ...

— Will Graves (@WillGravesAP) May 2, 2015"

The knee-jerk reaction to the Golson pick might not be positive, but the reality is this team needs more athletes in the secondary. His hands and feet are exceptional, and that makes up for some of his lack of height (and bulk). He is an aggressive player with a short memory who should integrate into the defense fairly quickly. If this pick helps Pittsburgh to steal an extra turnover here or there, it is more than worth it.