Pittsburgh signed free-agent safety Mike Mitchell last month, and the Steelers are entertaining one of the best safeties in the draft Monday.
Louisville's Calvin Pryor -- considered either the best or second-best safety in the draft -- was visiting with the Steelers to start the week, according to the Twitter feed of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Ed Bouchette. Pittsburgh would seem to need a cornerback more than a safety.
Pryor (5-foot-11, 198 pounds) is the top safety and the No. 15 overall player on NFL Media draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah's list of the draft's top 50 prospects. He is the No. 2 safety, behind Alabama's Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, in NFL Media draft analyst Mike Mayock's positional rankings.
Pittsburgh owns the No. 15 overall pick, which would be a sensible spot for Pryor to be drafted. But would Pittsburgh, which also has a need at wide receiver and along the defensive line in addition to corner, use its first-round pick on a safety after signing Mitchell, 26, to pair with Troy Polamalu?
Pryor is a huge hitter who covers a lot of ground, but his coverage skills aren't necessarily a positive. While he played free safety with Louisville, he wouldn't be out of place at strong safety in the NFL because of his hitting ability and work against the run.
Pryor has visited with, among others, the Detroit Lions, who pick 10th. That seems too early to pick Pryor, though.
The Post-Gazette also reported that the Steelers met with Minnesota defensive back Brock Vereen, who played strong safety with the Gophers and seems to fit best at that position in the NFL, and South Carolina wide receiver Bruce Ellington. The shifty Ellington is seen as a likely second-day pick (Rounds 2-3), while Vereen -- the brother of Patriots running back Shane Vereen -- looks like a third-day (Rounds 4-7) selection.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
