Speed matters: The Steelers selected cornerback Senquez Golson with the their second-round pick, the 56th overall, getting a small guy listed at 5-9, but one with a lot of speed.
"I want a guy that has some speed," said defensive backs coach Carnell Lake. "It's hard to cover if you don't have speed. I always put it in a very visual term. You have to have brakes. It's like a sports car. You can't just have speed. You have to be able to stop and start. You have to have quickness. Senquez has that.
"You have to be able to tackle. You have to check those boxes off. If you can't check those boxes off you are going to have a tough time getting on the field and being productive in the National Football League."
Stopping the run:* *Don't let his size fool you. Golson isn't afraid to play run support and is an aggressive tackler who is effective in the role. And that is going to be required in the AFC North.
"It's part of you," said Lake. "You can work on it, but it's more than that at this level. You have to want to tackle. If there is a way to measure someone's heart, that is the way to measure it…how eager are they going to be to in the run game as a corner. You have to get up there and be willing to be aggressive and make your play."
You're in good hands: Golson was definitely a ball hawk in college, with nine interceptions and 16 pass defenses in 2014 alone, and 16 interceptions in his career. But Lake knows those are skills he will have to continue to work on as he makes the transition from college to the NFL.
"He is going to have to come into the league and prove it," said Lake. "There is a lot of talent in the league, in our division, and they are going to match up him on just about everybody we play. It never ends. The competition is severe and stiff in the National Football League. He will have to come in and adjust quickly and I think he can do that."
