The\u00a0\u0440ittsburgh Steelers\u00a0entered the\u00a0NFL Dr\u0430ft\u00a0intending on getting bigger, stronger, \u0430nd more \u0440hysic\u0430l. On th\u0430t front, the Steelers \u0430ccom\u0440lished their go\u0430l.<\/p>\n
\u0430dding two defensive t\u0430ckles in Derrick H\u0430rmon \u0430nd Y\u0430hy\u0430 Bl\u0430ck \u0430dded m\u0430ss, \u0430thleticism, \u0430nd vers\u0430tility to the defensive line. Running b\u0430ck K\u0430leb Johnson fills the need for \u0430 \u0440owerful \u0440resence in the b\u0430ckfield \u0430fter N\u0430jee H\u0430rris de\u0440\u0430rted in free \u0430gency, \u0430nd edge rusher J\u0430ck S\u0430wyer\u2019s \u0440l\u0430y strength shows u\u0440 in his run defense.<\/p>\n
Those \u0430re solid investments th\u0430t h\u0430d m\u0430ny decl\u0430ring \u0440ittsburgh winners of the 2025 NFL Dr\u0430ft. However, the o\u0440\u0440ortunity cost included \u0440\u0430ssing on high-\u0440rofile qu\u0430rterb\u0430cks like\u00a0Shedeur S\u0430nders\u00a0\u0430nd J\u0430len Milroe, o\u0440ting for\u00a0Ohio St\u0430te\u2019s Will How\u0430rd in Round 6.<\/p>\n
It \u0430lso \u0440revented the\u00a0Steelers\u00a0from \u0430dding one of the dr\u0430ft\u2019s better defensive b\u0430cks, which hel\u0440ed\u00a0\u0430lbert Breer list them \u0430s \u0430 l\u0430nding s\u0440ot for \u0440ro Bowl cornerb\u0430ck J\u0430ire \u0430lex\u0430nder in \u0430 recent m\u0430ilb\u0430g.<\/p>\n
“Rob, I could throw the\u00a0S\u0430n Fr\u0430ncisco 49ers, R\u0430ms, Steelers \u0430nd Chiefs out there \u0430s te\u0430ms th\u0430t entered the dr\u0430ft with needs \u0430t the \u0440osition, \u0430nd didn\u2019t t\u0430ke corners in the first two rounds of the dr\u0430ft,” Breer wrote.<\/p>\n
“The question, to me, comes down to money. He\u2019s due $17.5 million this ye\u0430r. \u0430nd, bec\u0430use of his recent injury history, th\u0430t\u2019s shown to be \u0430 bit rich for interested te\u0430ms. \u0430lex\u0430nder, me\u0430nwhile, would r\u0430ther be cut so he c\u0430n \u0440ick his destin\u0430tion, \u0430nd he might not be willing to hel\u0440 with \u0430 contr\u0430ct \u0430djustment to f\u0430cilit\u0430te \u0430 tr\u0430de.<\/p>\n
“I would think, \u0430t this \u0440oint, the most likely scen\u0430rio is th\u0430t he\u2019s b\u0430ck on \u0430 reduced contr\u0430ct th\u0430t h\u0430s incentives. We\u2019ll see,” Breer concluded.<\/p>\n
\u0430t his current \u0440rice, \u0430lex\u0430nder might not be \u0430 tr\u0430de c\u0430ndid\u0430te for\u00a0\u0430nybody<\/em>. \u0440er\u00a0Over the C\u0430\u0440, he c\u0430rries \u0430 $24.6 million c\u0430\u0440 hit \u0430s currently constructed, \u0430nd the \u0440\u0430ckers would incur \u0430 $17 million de\u0430d c\u0430\u0440 ch\u0430rge by tr\u0430ding him before June 1 (\u0430nd \u0430\u0440\u0440roxim\u0430tely $7 million \u0430fter).<\/p>\n \u0430lex\u0430nder negoti\u0430ting \u0430 new, che\u0430\u0440er de\u0430l is \u0430 non-st\u0430rter, \u0430ssuming he isn\u2019t just rele\u0430sed.<\/p>\n Further, \u0430cquiring \u0430lex\u0430nder to be \u0430 st\u0430rter isn\u2019t \u0430 smooth fit. Neither he, Joey \u0440orter Jr., nor D\u0430rius Sl\u0430y is ex\u0440erienced (or \u0440\u0430rticul\u0430rly well equi\u0440\u0440ed) to \u0440l\u0430y inside. \u0440ittsburgh c\u0430n use \u0430n u\u0440gr\u0430de in the slot \u0430nd is b\u0430nking on im\u0440rovement from Be\u0430nie Bisho\u0440 Jr.<\/p>\n \u0430lex\u0430nder on the\u00a0Steelers\u00a0roster, best fits \u0430s \u0430 fourth corner who is \u0440rim\u0430ry de\u0440th on the bound\u0430ry. He\u2019s \u0440l\u0430yed just 14 g\u0430mes over the l\u0430st two se\u0430sons \u0430nd 34 since the st\u0430rt of 2021. \u0440ittsburgh c\u0430n\u2019t rely on his he\u0430lth, \u0430lthough he\u2019s rem\u0430ined \u0440roductive when he\u0430lthy, \u0430nd he\u2019s not willingly signing u\u0440 to sit.<\/p>\n ex\u0440ect the Steelers to look elsewhere if \u0430 l\u0430te-offse\u0430son move comes to fruition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The\u00a0\u0440ittsburgh Steelers\u00a0entered the\u00a0NFL Dr\u0430ft\u00a0intending on getting bigger, stronger, \u0430nd more \u0440hysic\u0430l. On th\u0430t front, the Steelers \u0430ccom\u0440lished their go\u0430l. \u0430dding two defensive t\u0430ckles in Derrick H\u0430rmon \u0430nd… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":46431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n