Last week wide receiver Victor Cruz said the New York Giants needed to draft a wide receiver in the first round of the draft. Now Ike Taylor is making a similar plea.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ longtime cornerback told the Pittsburgh Tribune the team needs to go for a cornerback in the first round.
The Steelers have been linked to cornerback, wide receiver and defensive linemen with the 15th overall selection. In the XN Sports Mock Draft 2.0, the Steelers are projected to land Pitt defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Last week, it was reported the team was strongly considering wideouts Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandin Cooks with the pick.
A number of different corners are expected to be taken in the first round, including Justin Gilbert, Darqueze Dennard, Kyle Fuller, Jason Verrett and Bradley Roby. Gilbert is widely viewed as the top prospect at the position, while Roby’s draft stock may be on the way down after a recent arrest. That leaves Dennard and Fuller as the most likely fits at that spot in the first rounds. At least four of the top five top corners should be available.
Taylor is 33 years old, while fellow starter William Gay is 29. Behind those two are Cortez Allen and Isaiah Green, who are 25 and 24 years old, respectively. So it’s obvious the team needs to upgrade at the cornerback position while getting younger in the process.
For those who argue the team is in more desperate need of wide receiver help, he said that could be the area addressed in Round 2, according to Taylor, who recommended the team consider Clemson’s Martavis Bryant. Most simply know Bryant as potential top-five pick Sammy Watkins’ teammate, but Taylor believes Bryant has the same type of skill-set once he gets a little more polished.
Bryant is 6-foot-4 and like Watkins, is very athletic, having averaged 19 yards per reception in his final season at Clemson. The Steelers need help at wide receiver since Emmanuel Sanders left this offseason to join the Denver Broncos.
