The Pittsburgh Steelers need help at a few positions as the 2024 NFL Draft approaches. Both the offensive and defensive lines, as well as the wide receiver and cornerback positions, will all likely be addressed before the month of May begins. Most of the talk has been surrounding General Manager Omar Khan selecting a right tackle or center in round one, but depending on a possible trade for a wideout, a cornerback to pair with Joey Porter Jr. could be targeted in the second round if wide receiver is already taken care of. It’s a decent class with options all over the place.
One of the more intriguing prospects that the Steelers could elect to go after on day two is versatile University of Michigan defensive back Mike Sainristil. The defender is coming off an undefeated season with the National Champions and has quickly been rising up draft boards. With so many needs, he won’t be looked at by Pittsburgh in round one, which is why a recent report from Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz should be concerning if there is interest from Khan.
The corner is a bit smaller in size, standing at just 5’10”, but had an incredible final season for the Wolverines. He had six interceptions and two defensive touchdowns. As Schultz mentions, his ability to play as a nickel is something that the Steelers may find extremely attractive. He’s not worth the first-round pick for Pittsburgh, but the team might not even have a chance in round two if his draft stock continues to skyrocket.
Pittsburgh is extremely light in the cornerback department. Porter projects to be the top guy with recently-acquired Donte Jackson also getting the majority of snaps in 2024. Beyond those two, there are plenty of questions regarding who will step up to give the team the best chance to win. No one can rule out a reunion with Patrick Peterson at this point, either.
The Steelers did not host Sainristil for a pre-draft top 30 visit which is immediately a red flag when it comes to the team’s potential of drafting him on one of the first two days. Crazier things have happened, but if his expected leap into the first round per Schultz is going to happen, he won’t be wearing the black and gold to start his NFL career.
There are plenty of scenarios on draft weekend that could lead to a number of unexpected things happening. One thing that is certain about the Steelers is that, based on their pre-draft official visits, they are way more inclined to target the aforementioned positions of need more than any other area. Cornerback is on that list, but the draft is unpredictable. If Sainristil ends up falling deep into the second round, his potential may be too difficult for Pittsburgh to pass up.
This is a draft of pairing guys with the current starter to create a long-term solution. A right tackle is needed for Broderick Jones to work with, cornerback should be brought in to play opposite of Porter, and the organization desperately needs a second wide receiver to take some attention off of George Pickens. Luckily, the draft is deep in all three of those areas.
Steelers Running Out Of Time To Solidify Draft Strategy
It’s possible that Khan and co. already know the exact direction they want to go in the 2024 NFL Draft. If, however, a trade is still on the table for a top wide receiver, that could shuffle absolutely everything. Time will tell which direction they choose to go, but the news of Sainristil soaring up boards isn’t encouraging for a team that may have had him as a day two pick.
