Rookie CB Daylen Everette may have gone from the Steelers’ least-talked-about draft pick to the most-talked-about. The third-round pick went under the radar, largely because Pittsburgh didn’t need immediate help at the cornerback position. But since he’s taken the field, apparently, it’s been hard not to notice him.
One reporter noticing Daylen Everette is Mike DeFabo, who recently shared his observations from minicamp. While previously noting the plays he’s made, he sees potentially a bigger role this season. Largely presumed to be a draft pick for the future, might he play sooner rather than later?
“Everette has had a lot of opportunities because of Joey Porter Jr.’s ‘hold in’ and Jamel Dean taking some snaps off due to his veteran status”, DeFabo noted, writing for The Athletic. “That means the rookie has been matched up head-to-head with DK Metcalf a fair amount. The rookie is holding his own for the most part. He ran a 4.38 at the Combine and ran stride-for-stride with Metcalf during one early practice. Everette has also gotten his hands on several passes. On the depth chart, Asante Samuel Jr. and Everette will be battling to become the first player off the bench if one of the outside guys needs a breather or goes down”.
The Steelers re-signed Asante Samuel to a one-year, $4 million contract as free agency opened. But after that, they signed Jamel Dean as a starter and then drafted Daylen Everette. On paper, they have some intriguing depth at cornerback, which their coaches acknowledge. But as everybody who follows sports knows, depth charts often look better on paper than on the field. And this is not the first time this week a beat writer has hinted at something regarding Samuel.
Part of the reason Daylen Everette drew less conversation is because basically every other Steelers draft pick drew more. First-rounder Max Iheanachor faced the Makai Lemon discussion, tied into the second-round trade-up for Germie Bernard. QB Drew Allar obviously drew headlines, as did Gennings Dunker, the mulleted hay-bale tosser.
Even on Day 3, you had people wringing their hands over using a fourth-round pick on a return man in Kaden Wetjen, and a fullback in Pittsburgh is always a story with Riley Nowakowski. Gabriel Rubio merited discussion for nobody knowing who he was, only to reveal a very sporty mustache, and Eli Heidenreich, well, even people who don’t care about football probably heard about him. But they have no idea who Daylen Everette is.
The Steelers have Joey Porter and Jamel Dean at cornerback, at least for this year, and perhaps for another year or two. Asante Samuel is a former starter and hopes to be a starter again in the near future. But if Daylen Everette beats him out as the first cornerback off the bench, that will set his progress back.
Should that happen, it will be important to dissect the manner in which it occurred. Did Samuel lose the job, or did Everette take it from him? Of course, he has to earn it first, and, well, we’re still in June, last I checked. But there’s no harm in building up some enthusiasm at this time of year, I suppose.
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