The Pittsburgh Steelers are going through the NFL Draft process with their quarterback already in tow. With Kenny Pickett presumably cemented as the QB1, that opens the door for Pittsburgh to bolster its roster in other areas — and ESPN’s Todd McShay predicted the Steelers make a splash on defense.
McShay released his latest mock draft Tuesday morning and projected Pittsburgh to select former Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes with the No. 17 overall pick. He’d be quite the addition to the Steelers’ secondary, especially considering his strong performance at the NFL scouting combine. That’s why McShay made the case for Pittsburgh to take him if he’s on the board.
“Forbes is flying up my board just like he flew in the 40-yard dash on Friday night, posting a 4.35,” McShay wrote. “He has great ball production, picking off 14 passes and breaking up 18 more over three seasons. That fits with the Steelers, who led the league with 20 interceptions last season but could lose Cameron Sutton to free agency. Forbes also measured in at 6-1 and 166 pounds at the combine. Yes, 166 pounds. That might scare some teams off in Round 1, but they shouldn’t discount the high-level instincts and body control that we see on tape.”
Why Emmanuel Forbes could make sense for the Steelers
Forbes had a strong season in 2022 with Mississippi State, totaling 26 tackles and a career-high six interceptions. In fact, in three years in Starkville, he had 14 interceptions for the Bulldogs. Although the measurements might be a cause for concern, there’s no denying Forbes can get to the football and cause havoc for opposing offenses.
Just imagine pairing Forbes at cornerback with Levi Wallace on the other side after he had four interceptions, second only to Minkah Fitzpatrick. That could be quite the duo, and it’s becoming more apparent how Forbes could fit in with the current roster makeup.
The Steelers are coming off yet another .500-plus season under Mike Tomlin in 2022. They finished 9-8, but just missed out on the playoffs as Pickett and Mitch Trubisky split time at quarterback. Now, they’re gearing up for what should be an interesting offseason — with plenty of directions to go in free agency and the draft.