After spending much of the NFL Draft beefing up the trenches, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected a cornerback with their second pick of the sixth round Saturday.
With the No. 195 overall selection, the Steelers took Ryan Watts, who spent the past two seasons at Texas after playing at Ohio State for his first two college seasons. He was their final selection of the draft.
Watts is 6-foot-3, 208 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds at the NFL Combine. Because of his size, he could be switched to safety in the NFL.
“Not a lot of 6-3 corners can move like I can,” Watts said. “They can put me at safety, nickel, corner, wherever I can maximize my potential.”
At Texas, Watts made 24 starts combined in his junior and senior seasons. The native of Little Elm, Texas, transferred from Ohio State after his sophomore year to be closer to home. He played in 18 games as a reserve with the Buckeyes and tied for the team lead with two interceptions in 2021.
Watts met with Steelers officials at the NFL Combine and again at Texas’ pro day.
“I figured I had a chance of coming to Pittsburgh,” he said. “Everything was up in the air. I felt like I left a good impression with the staff.”
With the Steelers, Watts joins a position room that features second-year starter Joey Porter and veteran acquisition Donte Jackson. Darius Rush and Cory Trice are entering their second seasons, too, with Trice sitting out his rookie year with an ACL injury.
That could create an opportunity for Watts in the secondary.
“I’ve got a lot to prove,” he said. “Having an edge and having a lot to prove makes you the most dangerous man in the room.”
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.