Steelers to Have a Pre-Draft Visit with Michigan State Cornerback Darqueze Dennard

Steelers to Have a Pre-Draft Visit with Michigan State Cornerback Darqueze Dennard
By Mark Mihalko
http://www.steelers101.com/2014/03/2...queze-dennard/

The Pittsburgh Steelers have more questions than answers in 2014. In many ways, that is a dream scenario, as there is really no wrong way for them to attack the draft. That is why there have been no real consensus name attached to them early in the process.
One position that would no be a surprise in the early portions of the draft would be cornerback. Yesterday, Steelers 101 profiled a late round cornerback who has been linked to the Steelers and a pre-draft visit. Today, the draft preparation process will shift to a early round prospect that has been linked to a pre-draft visit; Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard.
One of the top corners in this class, the 5-11, 197-pound defensive back plays with an edge, and shares many of the same traits that have made Ike Taylor successful in the Steelers 3-4 scheme. He is a solid tracker, with great instincts and can excel in man-to-man coverage.
Early in the pre-draft evaluation process, he took a hit for skipping the Senior Bowl, where coaches could have dissected some of his flaws. Over his career he did notch a lot of penalties, a trend that is complicated by the fact he did not have to face a large amount of elite receivers in Big 10 action.
After a solid combine, he should be solidified with a mid-first-round grade making his landing zone somewhere around the Steelers selection. However, he may be the cornerback who is ready day one and is viewed as a plug-and-play defender early in his career and a cornerback-starved franchise could swoop in earlier.