Each year since joining BTSC in 2024, Ryan Parish has put together a draft gems list. This series is not meant to predict who the Steelers will pick, but rather highlight players Ryan thinks will be viable NFL players, and should be available in Rounds 2-7. Looking for more? Check out Ryan’s picks this year at:
- Wide Receivers
- Linebackers
- Offensive Tackles
- Edge defenders
- Defensive line
- Safeties
- Interior offensive line
The Steelers often project what positions they plan to target in the draft with their pre-draft visits. This year, cornerback was tied for the position the second-most visits scheduled (5)
with linebacker, trailing only wide receiver (6).
While some might argue that the cornerback room is set with Joey Porter Jr., Jemel Dean, and Jalen Ramsey presumably at nickel, and depth provided by Brandin Echols and Ansante Samuel Jr., the Steelers are telling us they aren’t fully satisfied with the group. Beyond that, only Dean and Ramsey have deals that extend past 2026, and Dean’s contract is structured so that the Steelers can get out fairly easily if his career trend of struggling with injuries limits him in 2026.
With that in mind, let’s examine one of the deeper positions in the 2026 class.
Treydan Stukes, Arizona
Age: 24 (09-11-2001)
Height/weight: 6’0, 193 pounds
Arm Length: 313/4” arms, 765/8” wingspan
Stukes made news with Steelers fans on Wednesday as one of the last pre-draft visits the Steelers brought in before the deadline. Stukes has a lot of fans in draft cycles despite his unusual profile. Stukes is an older prospect, as he’ll turn 25 in September. He started his college career as a walk-on at Arizona in 2020, which helped him gain an extra year of eligibility with the COVID-shortened season. He earned a scholarship the following year, but a knee injury made him miss most of 2024 and had him returning to school for a sixth season in 2025.
The age and durability concerns are certainly understandable reasons for moving Stukes off your board, but in this list, we’re aiming to identify talent, and Stukes is simply too gifted to ignore. He has enviable speed (4.33 40-time) length, and explosive athleticism (38” vertical, 10’10 broad jump) for the position, but Stukes’ true superpower might be how well he pairs those natural gifts with how well he can track the ball.
Stukes was a chess piece for his various defensive coordinators — he had five different ones in six seasons at Arizona —with experience outside (943 career snaps) and at safety (503), but he thrived most as a nickel (1,174). He had a career year in 2025, picking off four passes, breaking up six more, all while allowing zero touchdowns, just 213 yards, and a 59% completion rate. He also registered two sacks on just 11 pass-rushing snaps.
Stukes isn’t a powerful tackler, but his 11.3% career missed tackle rate is respectable, and he does show more stopping power against the run than you’d expect given his slight frame. If the Steelers go outside the secondary in the first round, Stukes makes a lot of sense as a player they could have the flexibility to let fill in at nickel or safety as needed this year, and then move to a full-time starter in 2027.
Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State
Age: 22 (04-11-2004)
Height/weight: 6’2, 191 pounds
Arm Length: 33” arms, 785/8” wingspan
We’re going to be rotating between nickel and outside options as we move between my selections this year, which brings us to our first outside option. Davison Igbinosun fits the mold of tall, lengthy, press cornerbacks that the Steelers have liked on the outside, such as Joey Porter Jr., Jamel Dean, James Pierre, and Cory Trice Jr. The Steelers didn’t invite Igbinosun for a pre-draft visit, but assistant GM Andy Weidl attended the Buckeyes Pro Day, and not every pick the Steelers make will be a player that was brought in for a visit.
A three-year starter who only just turned 22 last week, Igbinosun is a cornerback who wins with physicality and who has improved each season. He allowed a career best 47.8% completion rate this year for 207 yards, no touchdowns, and interceped two passes. After being flagged 16 times (!) in 2024, Igbinosun cut those down significantly (5) this past season, where he played much more under control, though he will likely always be a little grabby. His physicality is more often a positive, however, and his 11.3% missed tackle rate will play in the AFC North.
And while it’s not a major part of the evaluation process, I do think it’s a positive for Igbinosun that he has been sharpened in practice every day by lining up against a future top-5 pick in Jeremiah Smith.
Malik Muhammad, Texas
Age: 21 (09-14-2004)
Height/weight: 6’0, 190 pounds
Arm Length: 321/2” arms 771/4” wingspan
Back to a player who was brought in for a pre-draft visit. His slender frame has many projecting an NFL move to the inside for him, but it should be noted that he played just 45 snaps in the slot in college. Muhammad would possess an intriguing blend of length and speed for the position should he make the move at the next level.
In 2025, Muhammad only gave up 168 yards for the entire season and picked off two passes. He has shown great lateral agility and matching ability in coverage. He plays aggressively in press coverage, but also shows good vision and instincts in off coverage. If Igbinosun was the poster child in this class for a grabby press corner, Muhammad is the polar opposite, with just two penalties this past season.
And speaking of Jeremiah Smith, check out Muhammad’s rep below against the Ohio State superstar in a critical down-and-distance.
However, if there is one area of concern about a potential move to nickel for Muhammad, it would be his tackling. His slight frame can lead to him getting bullied by bigger receivers at times. He’ll need to clean up his 15.4% missed tackle rate to stick inside.
Julian Neal, Arkansas
Age: 23 (02-12-2003)
Height/weight: 6’1, 206 pounds
Arm Length: 331/4”arms 791/4” wingspan
What do we like? Tall press corners with long arms! And that is Julian Neal’s calling card. Neal isn’t the most twitched-up athlete — his 4.49-speed will play, though — but he is a former wide receiver who smothers opponents at the line in press, excels at pinning receivers to the sideline as a boundary corner, and plays physical through the catch point.
Neal is simply a pest, in the best sense of the word. If the Steelers are looking for a middle-round corner, I much prefer Neal to the two Washington corners that were brought in for visits. Neal is a sound and strong tackler, registering just a 7.3% missed tackle rate in 2025. He’s allowed just a 51.4% completion rate across his career, while adding in four interceptions and 13 pass breakups, including eight this past season.
Chandler Rivers, Duke
Age: 22 (10-17-2003)
Height/weight: 5’91/2, 185 pounds
Arm Length: 293/8” arms, 73” wingspan
Rivers is a nickel at the NFL level because of his size, but he played 2,243 snaps outside in his college career against 682 snaps from the slot. Pound-for-pound, Rivers is one of the most fun watches I’ve had this cycle at cornerback because he plays far bigger than his size. In many ways, he reminds me a lot of fellow 2026 class member D’Angelo Ponds out of Indiana. Rivers became a starter halfway through his freshman season, and despite his diminutive size, he never missed a game to injury.
Chandler plays far more physically than you’d expect someone of his size. Watch him fight through a blocker in the clip below so he can blow up a receiver screen. His 54 career stops — a PFF metric that is awarded to tackles that result in a negative outcome for the offense — speak to his tackling ability.
Rivers is a feisty cover with a knack for getting under receivers’ skins. He attacks receivers’ hands at the catch point, and his timing for when to trigger on a route is one of his best qualities.
Charles Demmings, Stephen F. Austin
Age: 23 (04-05-2003)
Height/weight: 6’1, 194 pounds
Arm Length: 321/8” arms, 773/4” wingspan
A small-school player with great height and length, who tested out as one of the most athletic cornerbacks (4.41 40-time, 42” vertical, 11’0 broad jump) in the class? That’ll get you on NFL radars as a possible Day 3 steal.
Demmings found himself at the FCS level simply because he had not played much football prior to college. He played wide receiver as a freshman in high school, but didn’t play again until his senior year, his first as a cornerback. His play at Stephen F. Austin eventually gave him opportunities to accept NIL-deals at a Power 4 school, but he decided to stay loyal to the program.
For his career, Demmings allowed a completion rate of just 47.3%, collecting nine interceptions and breaking up 17 passes. He greatly improved his missed tackle rate in 2025, with a rate of just 5%. He’ll need to prove he can perform at the same level against stiffer competition, but he held his own at the Senior Bowl.
Jalen Huskey, Maryland
Age: 22 (05-10-2003)
Height/weight: 6’1, 196 pounds
Arm Length: 307/8” arms, 753/4” wingspan
Shout out to BTSC community member Pittsblitz56 for putting Huskey on my radar recently. Huskey has played everywhere in the secondary from the box (530 snaps), free safety (484), outside (752), and nickel (193).
Huskey is a turnover magnet, picking off passes at a high rate at both the high school (18) and, more importantly, college level (11). He’s a strong tackler, and with his speed (4.55 40-time) he might be suited better as a safety, but his versatility landed him on this list after I failed to include him with the safeties.
Huskey wasn’t penalized in coverage during the 2025 season, so he’s a smart, clean player. He also had four tackles on punt coverage as senior, so he would likely fill a special teams role early on in his career should Pittsburgh draft him.
If you like defensive backs that lay the boom, Huskey will be one of your favorites.
Andre Fuller, Toledo
Age: 24 (04-08-2002)
Height/weight: 6’1, 202 pounds
Arm Length: 303/4” arms, 763/4” wingspan
While watching a lot of Toledo to study up on safety prospect and Steelers pre-draft visitor Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, another defensive back kept drawing my attention. Fuller is another strong, physical corner who plays with a style that screams AFC North.
Across six seasons split between Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Toledo, Fuller only allowed a completion percentage of 44.4%. He isn’t exceptionally fast (4.49), but Fuller is a sticky cover with a nose for the football, with 18 career pass breakups, though he only has four interceptions.
Fuller is an older prospect, and his footwork isn’t always pristine, but if the Steelers are looking for an upside pick late in Day 3, I think he could make the leap to NFL competition.
What do you think of these cornerback prospects? Would you like the Steelers to draft any of them? Who was your favorite? Did I leave one of your favorites out? Let us know in the comments!
