Approaching the 2025 NFL Draft, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on anywhere from Rounds 1 through 7. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital and their fit with the Steelers.

The Steelers have shown interest in a wide variety of positions when it comes to their possible first-round pick in 2025. Quarterback, defensive line, safety, and running back have all received plenty of discussion, but cornerback remains a sneaky strong option at pick 21. How does Ole Miss’ Trey Amos fit the Steelers?

Position: Cornerback

Class: Fifth-year senior

Size: 6’1, 195 pounds

Age: 23

Projected draft round: 1

Stats via Sports Reference

After doing a deep dive on Amos for this article, he’s solidly one of my top defensive backs in this draft class. Smooth athleticism is one of the top traits that I look for in corners, and Amos excels in that category. He’s a scheme-versatile defender, but his best tape is when he’s in zone.

Amos doesn’t have much wasted movement when he changes direction, seamlessly switching assignments in coverage while maintaining a read on the quarterback. With three interceptions and 13 passes defensed in 2024, he showed off some good production and drive on the football as well.

In man, Amos’ smooth style of play and ability to quickly flip his hips also shines. He also brings an element of physicality to his game. While some scouting profiles see this as a negative, I thought that for the most part, Amos did a good job avoiding penalties while still being able to bump and run with receivers.

While there are some reps where Amos reacts a bit sluggishly, he’s generally aggressive at the catch point and sticky throughout the route. He has prototypical NFL size at 6’1, 195 pounds, and good length to break up passes.

Long speed is a minor concern, even if Amos ran a reassuring 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. For the most part, his physicality and athleticism allow him to shut down deep routes:

But there are inconsistencies, with teams beating Amos on one-on-ones with crossing routes:

You’d just like to see a bit more urgency there — that’s LSU tight end Mason Taylor who Amos isn’t catching up to in the clip above. Similarly, when playing with a cushion he allowed a few too many easy completions underneath.

In run support, Amos is a bit of a mixed bag even if he’s largely adequate as a tackler. He shows good effort and discipline coming downhill:

But Amos is an arm tackler for the most part who has a decent number of whiffs on tape, and he can get dragged around a bit at times as well.

Still, I consider Amos’ work as a tackler more of a strength than a weakness.

While Amos’ draft stock seems to be hovering around the early Day 2 range, I think we might be undervaluing his stock. Travis Hunter is obviously CB1, but Will Johnson, Benjamin Morrison, Maxwell Hairston, and Shavon Revel Jr. are coming off of injuries, Azareye’h Thomas has testing and tackling concerns, and Jahdae Barron is likely a nickel corner at the next level.

When it comes to a player who projects as a starting boundary cornerback, Amos isn’t just one of the best in his class — he’s one of the safest bets. He’s only started one season at the SEC level in a five-year college career, but that one year was a good one. have a first-round grade on him, and I bet he’ll be picked in the top 32 selections as well.

Strengths

Good size, length
Smooth in transitions
Great eyes in zone coverage
Adequate in run support
Physical in coverage but not overly grabby

Weaknesses

Good, not great long speed
Fifth-year senior who played for three different schools
Smooth, but lacks high-level twitch and urgency

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com

Long press cornerback who proved he could make the jump from the Sun Belt to the SEC without a hitch. Amos can disrupt the release and plays with good short-area movement in man coverage. He can get a little lost at the top of the route and needs occasional safety nets over the top. He has twitchy feet to close and sees the action clearly from zone but can be hampered by indecisiveness, despite favorable instincts. Amos uses physicality and length to shrink the 50/50 odds in his favor. He can play in multiple coverage but is most consistent in zone. Amos needs to ramp up his run support and trust his eyes in space, but he has the goods to become a solid starting outside corner.

Kyle Crabbs of The 33rd Team

Amos projects as an NFL starting perimeter cornerback. He will need to be vigilant about his hands and how physically he plays the catch point, but teams that desire a deep third corner in Cover 3 or a press-heavy man defender can both find starting roles for a player of his stature and skill set. Amos should be considered an early candidate to start and be drafted accordingly.

Keith Sanchez of The Draft Network

Although Amos plays a considerable amount of man coverage, his skill set suggests he is best suited for a zone-heavy scheme, such as Cover 2 or Cover 3, in the NFL. In zone coverage, Amos could take advantage of his physicality in press knowing he has help on the back end. He can also be more aggressive in jumping routes and taking angles to make plays on the ball, without worrying about being left without safety support. His football IQ and understanding of route combinations put him in excellent positions to anticipate plays and generate turnovers.

With the signings of Darius Slay and Brandin Echols in free agency, the Steelers’ roster need at cornerback has lessened ahead of the draft. Slay is the presumed CB2 while Echols has inside/outside versatility as a rotational piece or even the starter in the slot.

However, while Slay is still playing well at 34 years old, he’s not a long-term answer opposite Joey Porter Jr. Pittsburgh doesn’t seem tied to a particular position in the first round, making Amos, who could be an excellent boundary starter in the NFL, firmly on the team’s radar at pick 21. The Steelers have shown interest, bringing in Amos for a top-30 visit ahead of the draft.

TL;DR: Amos is a scheme-versatile cornerback with NFL-caliber size and athleticism. His fluidity stands out in zone and he has the quickness and physicality to succeed in man coverage. His game still has some frustrating inconsistencies, but he’s a quality prospect who should fit most defenses at the NFL level.

What are your thoughts on Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!