Pittsburgh Steelers: Will Kevin Johnson be next great CB?

Oct 20, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu (43) returns a fumble past Houston Texans wide receiver Keshawn Martin (82) during the second half at Heinz Field. The Steelers won the game, 30-23. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

With the Pittsburgh Steelers losing Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor to retirement this offseason, the need to improve their defensive backfield has increased greatly, though the writing was on the wall last season for the Steelers.

The Steelers rarely draft a cornerback in the first round, but with this being a situation where they need to find players to replace franchise legends, maybe this could be the year they make the jump at cornerback in the first round.

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With the departure of Polamalu, the current Steelers cornerback group consists of Cortez Allen, B.W. Webb, Kevin Fogg, William Gay and Antwon Blake, according to a depth chart on CBSSports.com.

Think about this for a second: The Steelers went 11-5 in the regular season and were the champions of the AFC North last season with an aging group of corners on their defense.

With one of the better offenses in the NFL, just think about if the Steelers were to use a first-round pick in the draft to improve their overall depth at the position of cornerback.

Gay was the third-leading tackler for the Steelers last season with 69 total (58 solo), and Polamalu was the fourth-best tackler on the team in ’14 with 61 total tackles (40 solo). Gay also had three interceptions for 113 yards and three touchdowns.

Blake totaled 42 total tackles (37 solo) and one interceptions, while Allen had 36 tackles last season (22 solo) and two interceptions.

Oct 5, 2013; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons cornerback Kevin Johnson (9) returns an interception during the fourth quarter against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at BB&T Field. Wake defeated North Carolina State 28-13. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

This is where Kevin Johnson of Wake Forest comes into play at the No. 22 overall selection of the 2015 NFL Draft for the Steelers, being a possible replacement for the retired Polamalu.

There are other corners who could be available with this choice, but in his most recent mock draft, ESPN Insider Mel Kiper Jr. has Johnson to the Steelers, so let’s take a look at the cornerback and see how he fits with the 3-4 scheme of the Steelers.

It is conceivable that Johnson could be off the board when the Steelers select at 22nd overall, but that proves not only how unpredictable the draft can be, but how good of a talent Johnson is as well.

Some of the combine numbers of Johnson were absolutely outstanding as the 6-0, 188-pound corner had a vertical jump of 41.5 inches and a 130.0 inch broad jump. His shuttle run was 3.89 seconds, and the 3-cone drill came in with a time of 6.79 seconds.

All of those above times were top performing times at the combine.

According to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, Johnson (who had a 4.52 40-yard dash time) is a natural in man coverage:

"“Very natural in man coverage. Has feet and discipline to play square and mirror against complex routes. Has low, controlled backpedal. Disruptive in press coverage — alters routes and slows receivers. Can easily transition laterally and has quick-twitch to break on throws in front of him …”"

While at Wake Forest, Johnson played in 11 to 12 games all four years with the program, where he totaled 123 solo tackles (189 total) with eight of those tackles for loss.

He also collected seven interceptions, including a career-high three interceptions in both his sophomore and junior seasons.

Johnson’s senior season saw him finish with 44 total tackles (32 solo), with 3.5 going for a loss and one interception in 12 games.

Again, drafting a corner doesn’t happen often in Pittsburgh, but they have to find a player who is capable of replacing a legend like Polamalu, and Johnson seems to have the traits to be able to take over that spot.

Having a dominating corner like Polamalu in the past seemed to work well for the franchise, as they won two Super Bowls during his tenure.

If the Steelers can keep that trend going with a new top-tier cornerback (along with their aforementioned productive offense), maybe that could equal more Super Bowls in the future of the Steelers.

Next: Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 Best Offseason Moves

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