By the time the 2025 NFL draft comes around, we should have a clear understanding of just what direction the Pittsburgh Steelers are going in terms of the roster. There are multiple high-profile players who are either free agents or soon-to-be free agents and Pittsburgh cannot pay them all.
One guy who is set to hit free agency is cornerback Donte Jackson. Jackson came over in the trade with the Carolina Panthers and sent Diontae Johnson packing. Jackson has been strong this season opposite Joey Porter Jr. and currently leads the team with five interceptions.
So when Dane Brugler put together his mock draft for The Athletic, he had Jackson packing in free agency and being replaced in the first round by Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston. Here’s what he had to say about the pick:
The Steelers’ cornerback unit has been a roller coaster all season. Donte Jackson, who leads the team with five interceptions, is an impending free agent; Joey Porter Jr. has looked great at times but lost on other plays (he leads all NFL defenders with 14 penalties).
Hairston missed a chunk of the 2024 season with a shoulder injury, but he is a long, twitchy cover man and doesn’t lack for confidence.
I don’t dislike Hairston as a prospect but I do question his fit with the Steelers. He’s much stronger in zone and struggles with physicality for man. This also spills over in his run support and this is something Mike Tomlin demands of his cornerbacks. Brugler doesn’t have Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison going in the first round but he’d be a more appropriate fit for the Steelers based on his strengths.
