Player: CB Donte Kent
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: While Donte Kent doesn’t have a roster spot locked up, the Steelers seem to want to take a long look at him. A rookie seventh-round pick, he has both cornerback and punt returner designations on the roster. The cornerback room is crowded, but there is always room for special teamers. And he is also willing to return kicks, which doesn’t hurt his cause, either.
The Steelers wouldn’t have drafted Donte Kent if they didn’t see a chance for him to make the team. Especially lately, with the team having retained all of its draft picks from the past two classes, the Steelers prioritize opportunity.
And Donte Kent has a real opportunity, particularly if he can make a mark on special teams. The cornerback room is crowded, but he can help himself stand out by showing off his versatility. As a sure tackler, one wonders if they might also view him as safety-capable.
He might want to give it a try, because the Steelers have cornerbacks. With Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, Beanie Bishop Jr., Brandin Echols, Cory Trice Jr., and James Pierre, it’s hard to see where Donte Kent fits in. With Pierre, they even have their special teams ace in the group already.
Might Kent potentially knock Bishop, last year’s opening-day slot starter, off the 53-man roster? He wouldn’t be the first unheralded player to make a stir as a rookie only to lose his spot. What the Steelers certainly have now, at the least, is competition.
And Kent’s return ability really opens up a variety of pathways for him. If they let him try out on kick returns, for example, he could displace Cordarrelle Patterson. The Steelers may also be looking to take Calvin Austin III off punt returns due to an increased offensive role. It’s just one of many things for the team to consider when weighing the best path forward for the rookie.
With the new league year underway and the Steelers turning their roster over, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that change the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract. Oh, and they also traded some guy named George Pickens, which people found significant.
There is still a long way to go before we know what this Steelers team is going to look like. The dust is settled on both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. What other moves might the team make, perhaps unexpected acquisitions or departures? If they traded for one player, they could certainly trade for another, or trade one away. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
