2019 NFL Mock Draft: Steelers try to reverse their trend of misses on 1st round CBs

The 2019 NFL Draft is about a month away, and those who produce mock drafts almost on a weekly basis are feverishly typing away trying to give their best estimation as to what will take place in late April when the three day selection process takes place.

For Pittsburgh Steelers fans, the biggest debate is what position the team will target in Round 1? Will it be inside linebacker? Will it be wide receiver? The Steelers have options early in the draft, but which player should be their top pick is a debate which turns ugly depending who you are talking to.

For this Mock Draft Monday, a space where we all understand mock drafts are nothing more than guesses, I looked at The Draft Network’s Trevor Sikkema’s latest mock draft to see who he had tabbed as going to the Steelers.

Here is the pick:

Steelers

Byron Murphy

CB, Washington

Look, I don’t care that the Steelers don’t traditionally take cornerbacks of Murphy’s mold and of his smaller size. The Steelers need good, reliable cornerbacks and Murphy is the best one in the class. Pick him and build around him from there as you add to your secondary over the next few years.

They won’t regret this pick, I promise.

For the record, it should be noted both Devin White and Devin Bush were both off the board before the 11th pick. White went to the Broncos at pick 10, and Bush to the Bengals at pick 11. With those prospects gone, the Steelers snagged themselves a cornerback they hope can break their failed draft pick mold.

If you are like me, you don’t keep tabs on all of these players in college football. There just isn’t enough time in the day to watch all these prospects. While many will know plenty about Murphy as a prospect, others just want to know the basics. Here is a draft breakdown via The Draft Network:

PROSPECT COMPARISON - Kyle Fuller

BEST TRAIT – Zone Cover Skills

WORST TRAIT – Run Support

BEST FILM – Utah (2018)

WORST FILM – Auburn (2018)

RED FLAGS – None

Byron Murphy is an elite prospect who can plug into just about any system at play at a high level. Murphy has surreal mobility and polish for a younger prospect. His explosiveness, ball skills and route recognition skills make him a great fit to play in both shallow and short zones. Murphy would have little issue stepping up and filling on the boundary or contesting shallow throws in front of his face. Murphy has the upside to be one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL by the end of year 3.

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What do you think of the pick? Would you be okay with Murphy being the Steelers’ top pick? Let us know what you think in the comment section below!