The Pittsburgh Steelers won't get obsessed with measurables. They want guys who can play.
But with good cornerback depth in this year's draft and the Steelers' obvious need at the position, the franchise will soon show how much they value length for their coverage schemes.
Pro Bowl cornerbacks often have adequate to above-average length. Richard Sherman is an anomaly at 6-foot-3, but of the 12 first-ballot or alternate 2016 Pro Bowlers at the position, six are 6-0 or taller.
The Steelers' group, meanwhile, could be viewed as undersized. The only rotational cornerback on the roster above 6-0 is Cortez Allen, who's been asked to take a pay cut and is hardly a guarantee to contribute after a knee injury.
Here are the hard numbers...
Average height among Steelers' top-five cornerbacks: 5-10 4/5
Average height of Pro Bowl corners in 2016: 5-11 2/3
That's nearly an inch between parties, which is survivable on the field, but not ideal. If Allen doesn't play, that leaves William Gay (5-10), Senquez Golson (5-9), Ross Cockrell (6-0) and Doran Grant (5-10).
Keep in mind with Pittsburgh's cornerbacks: Cockrell, who has good size, performed well in stretches last season. The Steelers are hoping he makes a jump. If he does, they could have something with Cockrell/Gay on the outside and Golson in the slot. Gay is a good slot cornerback, but Golson's size could force him outside in certain packages, though the Steelers don't want to pigeonhole Golson as strictly a slot guy.
If Allen can regain coaches' trust and find his 2013 form, that gives the Steelers flexibility in this spot. They won't know that for a while, and neither Mike Tomlin nor Kevin Colbert sound overly encouraged.
The Steelers' potential cornerback options in the first two rounds have adequate if unspectacular size for the most part.
Size isn't everything, but for the Steelers, drafting a top-two-round cornerback with below-average height for the second straight year could limit the defense's range against bigger receivers in the open field.
