For years, the Steelers wanted big, physical corners who could tackle. They were the life-blood of a Dick LeBeau-coached defense.
But when the NFL began limiting the amount of contact defensive backs could have with a receiver downfield -- and also put limits on the hits they could deliver -- having big, physical corners became more of a liability than a blessing.
And it made the Steelers change the way they viewed cornerbacks. They began putting more of an emphasis on taking the ball away rather than getting big, physical corners who didn't necessarily have ball skills -- think Ike Taylor.
For a number of reasons, however, it hasn't always worked out. For every William Gay or Bryant McFadden the Steelers have plucked beyond the first round, they have swung and missed multiple times. Senquez Golson got hurt. Curtis Brown never found his way onto the field. The list goes on.
But part of the reason for that is because the Steelers have used so few prime picks on the position. Of the 14 cornerbacks selected since Mike Tomlin became head coach in 2007, only five have been taken in the third round or higher.
Certainly, you're allowed to hit on players taken later in the draft. But with the emphasis some other teams put on the position -- Minnesota, for example, has four first-round cornerbacks on its roster -- going from 1997 (Chad Scott) to 2016 (Artie Burns) without taking a cornerback in the first round seems to be bad for business. Especially if you want to get better at the position.
The Steelers will keep that in mind in this year's draft, which kicks off Thursday and runs through Saturday.
Cornerback is a position the team could certainly look to improve. The team signed veteran Steven Nelson to play opposite Joe Haden, so the starters are set -- at least for this season.
But Haden just turned 30 and is heading into the final year of his contract. The team is interested in an extension, but determining the length could be a sticking point.
The Steelers also have to make a decision on Burns, who lost his starting job to veteran Coty Sensabaugh last season. Now entering his fourth season, Burns is in a make-or-break situation with the Steelers.
"It’s not about giving him another chance," Tomlin said of Burns. "It’s about putting together the very best group that we can put out there, and if that includes giving him another chance, then certainly, but it’s not per se specifically about giving him quote-unquote another chance."
The team also has 2017 draft picks Cameron Sutton (third) and Brian Allen (fifth) waiting in the wings, while nickel corner Mike Hilton also returns.
But adding competition at cornerback could be something the teams looks closely at this week.
And unlike many other years, when the Steelers might find themselves waiting in the first round as other teams scooped up the top corner prospects, the top corners in this year's draft are slated to start coming off the board right around when the Steelers make their first pick at No. 20.
There's even some disagreement about who the top corner might be — Chris Carter did some film breakdown of the top corners available in a recent Classroom.
Some like LSU's Greedy Williams, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound speedster, while others like the technique of Washington's Byron Murphy (5-foot-11, 190 pounds).
Williams ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, opening some eyes with his speed. He led the SEC with six interceptions in 2017, and followed that up by picking off two more passes with nine pass breakups in 2018.
But he's also more of a pure man cornerback and shows up on tape as a player who's not a strong tackler. In fact, he has a lot of the same characteristics of Burns, who has struggled at times in both open-field tackling and grasping the multiple defensive techniques the Steelers employ.
"That’s something I can improve, definitely going to improve on it, ready to get back on the field and get started working on it," Williams said of his tackling deficiencies.
Murphy has no such issues. In fact, he's considered very good in the open field and had seven interceptions and 20 pass breakups in college despite being targeted just 80 times.
If there's a knock against him, it's the fact he doesn't have great speed (4.55 in the 40) and the redshirt sophomore has just one full season as a starter under his belt. But he's a heady, aggressive defender who just turned 21.
Temple's Rock Ya-Sin and Deandre Baker of Georgia also could receive first-round consideration at the cornerback position.
Ya-Sin (6-foot, 192 pounds) has good size and speed (4.51 40), but played just one year of FBS NCAA Division I after playing his first three seasons at FCS program Presbyterian.
Baker, meanwhile, is the reigning Jim Thorpe Award winner after breaking up 10 passes and intercepting two others in 2018.
You want pass breakups? Notre Dame's Julian Love is your guy.
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Love set an NCAA record with 20 in 2017 to go along with three interceptions, then broke up 16 more -- with one interception -- in 2018.
Love is viewed as more of a second-round prospect, as are Kentucky's Lonnie Johnson, Clemson's Trayvon Mullen and Michigan State's Justin Layne, a converted wide receiver who is still learning the position.
In the third round, Vanderbilt's Joejuan Williams, Sean Bunting of Central Michigan, Jamel Dean of Auburn, Penn State's Amani Oruwariye and David Long of Michigan should be selected.
"I think the No. 1 thing for a corner is just confidence," Oruwariye said. "If you don't have confidence in yourself, believe in your technique or your training, you'll never be the best corner. Look at any of the best corners: Deion Sanders played with that swag. Jalen Ramsey got that mentality, all those guys. So, you've got to have that confidence and that belief in yourself."
In the middle rounds, Corey Ballentine of Washburn, Michael Jackson of Miami (Fla.) or Stephen Denmark of Valdosta State could be of interest.
Denmark is a college receiver who converted to cornerback. But he's 6-foot-3, 220 pounds and ran a 4.46 40-yard dash and had a ridiculous 43.5-inch vertical leap at his pro day.
LOLLEY'S VIEW
The Steelers showed a lot of interest in the first-round cornerback possibilities in their pre-draft visits, bringing in Murphy, Ya-Sin and Baker -- but not Williams.
Could it be subterfuge?
Perhaps. But Williams and his lack of any kind of physicality isn't what the Steelers have typically looked for in a cornerback.
That's why Murphy is the corner at the top of my board. He's physical. He's a technician. And he takes the ball away.
While his 4.55 speed isn't great, Haden ran a 4.57 40 at the Combine before he was drafted. And he's worked out fine.