The "Triple Take" team takes a deeper dive into the interior defensive linemen in their second look at the position. In this installment of this draft prospect preview by position, the Steelers Radio Network trio of Matt Williamson, Dale Lolley and Mike Prisuta give their takes on the top prospects. If you want to hear the audio version of "The Triple Take" click here.
The opinions of these Steelers Radio Network personalities do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Stay up-to-date with Steelers draft news by downloading the Steelers Official Mobile App (Apple Store | Google Play) and enabling the "Draft" push notification category (More --> Settings --> Notifications).
Dale's Take …
First Draft
5 - Cam Smith, South Carolina (6-1, 180 lbs.)
4 - Devon Witherspoon, Illinois (5-11 ½, 181 lbs.)
3 - Deontae Banks, Maryland (6-0, 197)
2 - Joey Porter Jr., Penn State (6-2 ½, 212 lbs.)
1 - Christian Gonzalez, Oregon (6-1, 197 lbs.)
Upon Further Review
5 - Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State (6-1, 166 lbs.)
4 - Deontae Banks, Maryland (6-0, 197)
3 - Joey Porter Jr., Penn State (6-2 ½, 212 lbs.)
2 - Devon Witherspoon, Illinois (5-11 ½, 181 lbs.)
1 - Christian Gonzalez, Oregon (6-1, 197 lbs.)
Analysis: Witherspoon jumps up to No. 2 on my board after he finally completed his individual workout and posted a 40 time well under 4.5 seconds. That allayed any fears about him after he was unable to work out at the NFL Scouting Combine or at Illinois pro day. Forbes pushes into the top 5 despite being rail thin. His tape is just so darn good. A record six interception returns for touchdowns will do that. Forbes has the best ball skills in this draft class.
ALSO WORTH CONSIDERING
Kelee Ringo of Georgia has the size and athleticism to be a top-level cornerback. But he needs some refinement on his technique. Still, at 6-2, 207 pounds with a 4.36 40, there's a lot with which to work. … The same goes for Kansas State's Julius Brents (6-3, 198 lbs.). His 4.53-second 40-yard dash isn't going to wow anyone, but his 34-inch arms add to his overall length, allowing him to adequately cover things deep. … Cam Smith and Darius Rush of South Carolina gave the Gamecocks a pair of NFL cornerbacks in 2022. Both should hear their names called before the end of Day 2 of the draft. At 6-2, 198 pounds, Rush is a little bigger, but Smith is 6-1, 180 pounds. … Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin coached Brian Kelly, the father of Stanford's Kyu Blu Kelly when he was defensive backs coach at Tampa Bay. Kyu Blu Kelly was a four-year starter at Stanford. … Alabama's Eli Ricks was a big-time player as a freshman in 2020 at LSU before transferring after an injury plagued sophomore season. He appeared in nine games for the Crimson Tide last season, but failed to record an interception after having five in his first two seasons. … Riley Moss of Iowa had 11 interceptions for the Hawkeyes, returning three for touchdowns. He had a solid week at the Senior Bowl and then tested well at the Combine.
Mike's Take ...
First Draft
5 - Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State (6-0 ¾, 166 lbs.)
4 - Deontae Banks, Maryland (6-0, 197 lbs.)
3 - Joey Porter Jr., Penn State (6-2 ½, 212 lbs.)
2 - Christian Gonzalez, Oregon (6-1, 197 lbs.)
1 - Devon Witherspoon, Illinois (5-11 ½, 181 lbs.)
After Further Review
5 - Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State (6-0 ¾, 166 lbs.)
4 - Deontae Banks, Maryland (6-0, 197 lbs.)
3 - Joey Porter Jr., Penn State (6-2 ½, 212 lbs.)
2 - Christian Gonzalez, Oregon (6-1, 197 lbs.)
1 - Devon Witherspoon, Illinois (5-11 ½, 181 lbs.)
Analysis: Witherspoon didn't work out for scouts until April 10 because of a lingering hamstring injury. He reportedly posted times of 4.46 and 4.42 seconds in the 40-yard dash in a private workout once he finally got around to running. That's not dazzling but it's good enough to confirm Witherspoon's status as one of the best cornerbacks available.
ALSO WORTH CONSIDERING
TCU's Tre'vius Hodges-Tomlinson won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back in 2022. He wasn't the tallest (5-foot-8) or heaviest (178 pounds) DB. But as ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit noted during coverage of the college football playoffs, Ladainian Tomlinson's nephew is "pesky," to the extent "he'll take on any receiver in the country." … Julius Brents of Kansas State is a safety who worked out with the cornerbacks at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Brents hit 41.5 inches on the vertical leap and 11-6 on the broad jump in Indy. That followed up what was assessed by analysts as a good week for Brents at the Senior Bowl … Michigan's D.J. Turner didn't drill at the Combine but he covered the 40-yard dash in 4.26 seconds, which tied the fourth-fastest time ever recorded at a Combine. It's anticipated he'll move from outside corner into the slot at the next level … Iowa's Riley Moss is a two-time First-Team All-Big Ten selection and was the Big Ten's Defensive Back of the Year in 2021. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah thinks Moss could potentially "sneak" into the second round of the draft. "You can see his twitch and his explosiveness, it jumps off the field." Jeremiah noted … Maryland's Jakorian Bennett ran a 4.30 40 in Indy, second among cornerbacks behind Turner. Jeremiah envisions Bennett as a "plug-and-play nickel." Bennett's 27 passes defensed over the last two seasons combined were the most by a player from a Power Five conference (Big Ten, ACC, SEC, Pac-12, Big XII) … Utah's Clark Phillips III also projects as a nickel at the NFL level. Originally an Ohio State commit, Phillips tied for third among FBS players with six interceptions and was a First-Team Associated Press All-American in 2022. Phillips' four career pick-sixes tied the Utah record … Stanford's Kyu Blu Kelly put his 6-foot, 191-pound frame to good use in Mobile, Ala. He was voted National Team Practice Cornerback of the Week at the Senior Bowl by his wide receiver teammates … USC's Mekhi Blackmon honed his skills practicing against Trojans wide receiver Jordan Addison in 2022. Blackmon was a First-Team All-Pac-12 selection and a Third-Team AP All-American … If bloodlines matter Marshall's Steven Gilmore is doing it right. He's the younger brother of Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore, the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year with the Patriots in 2019.
Matt's Take ...
First Draft
5 – Cam Smith, South Carolina (6-1, 180 lbs.)
4 – Deontae Banks, Maryland (6-0, 197 lbs.)
3 – Joey Porter Jr., Penn State (6-2 1/2, 193 lbs.)
2 – Devon Witherspoon, Illinois (5-11 1/2, 181 lbs.)
1 – Christian Gonzalez, Oregon (6-1, 197 lbs.)
After Further Review
5 – Cam Smith, South Carolina (6-1, 180 lbs.)
4 – Deontae Banks, Maryland (6-0, 197 lbs.)
3 – Joey Porter Jr., Penn State (6-2 1/2, 193 lbs.)
2 – Devon Witherspoon, Illinois (5-11 1/2, 181 lbs.)
1 – Christian Gonzalez, Oregon (6-1, 197 lbs.)
Analysis: _Gonzalez and Witherspoon are in the top tier in his cornerback class and Porter and Banks are in their own second tier. In a very deep class with excellent prospects, figuring out the fifth corner on the list wasn't an easy task. Many excellent prospects were left off. There should be starting caliber players at this position all through the second day of the draft. _
ALSO WORTH CONSIDERING
Emmanuel Forbes from Mississippi State absolutely needs to be discussed. He just missed my top five list, and he was excluded for only one reason: While he stands 6-1, Forbes is only 166 pounds. And he has a very lean frame, which brings up the question if he can add much more weight or not. However, Forbes' film very well could be the best in this class and by no means does he play bashful or small. He has great speed, long arms, and uncanny ball skills. Over the past three years, Forbes has 14 interceptions and took six of those passes to the house. ... Two cornerbacks that blew up their respective pro days were Starling Thomas V from UAB and Purdue's Cory Trice. Thomas ran a 4.31 40-yard dash, which looks to be the fastest on record this year. His jumps were also outstanding. Meanwhile, Trice, who is 6-3 and 205 pounds, posted a 6.7 3-cone drill and a 4.06 shuttle. Those are incredibly good times for such a tall cornerback.
