Pittsburgh Steelers late-round pick might be a steal, NFL analyst says

The Pittsburgh Steelers were near the bottom of the league when it came to defending the pass in 2024, allowing 224.5 to opposing quarterbacks (23rd in the NFL).

This offseason, they swapped out Donte Jackson (signed with the Los Angeles Chargers) for Darius Slay (formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles) and Brandin Echols (formerly of the New York Jets) while allowing Cameron Sutton, C.J. Henderson, Ryan Watts and Zyon Gilbert to remain unsigned in free agency.

On top of that, Pittsburgh also waited until the seventh-round to address the cornerback position, taking Central Michigan's Donte Kent with pick No. 229.

While it's not every day that a late-round selection makes an impact in the league, NFL analyst Emory Hunt has some faith in Kent.

"Donte Kent was an underrated player," Hunt said while speaking with former NFL offensive lineman-turned-analyst Ross Tucker. "I was shocked that not a lot of people were talking about him out of Central Michigan. Very good selection."

Kent was a three-star recruit out of Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, before he committed to Central Michigan in 2019.

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In five seasons with the Chippewas, Kent appeared in 53 games and recorded 234 tackles (six for a loss), 46 passes defensed, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovered. His performance also landed him three All-MAC selections in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

He joins the Steelers with experience on special teams and in both the boundary and slot on defense, which could help him carve out a role for himself as a depth piece as a rookie.

"Donte Kent is from Harrisburg. I saw he and his brother Ronald Kent (CFL cornerback) play in High School," Tucker said. "Those kids can fly. They both went to Central Michigan, so I'm excited about Donte."

Kent flashed that speed at his Pro Day, running an impressive 4.38-second 40-yard dash. That will also come in handy while covering kicks and keeping up with NFL wideouts.

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