Take Two: Steelers draft Brown and Allen in 2011
Steel City Underground is doing a series where we will break down each instance of double-dipping in the NFL draft during the Mike Tomlin area. By double-dipping we mean drafting two players of the same position. This has happened much more than most may think, which is detailed in the original article. We will be taking a look at the rosters prior to those players being drafted along with whatever happened with these players.
The Players
The Steelers drafted two cornerbacks in the 2011 NFL Draft: Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen.
Brown was an honorable mention All-American at the University of Texas. He absolutely crushed his drills at the scouting combine, posting bests in almost every exercise at his position. His NFL.com draft profile claims he had the makings of a day one starter in the nickel/slot corner position, with the potential to be an eventual every-down player:
Brown has great foot speed and enough size to develop into a quality starting cornerback at the next level. He has the long speed to blanket receivers on go routes and the hip fluidity to maintain momentum on double moves. He is effective on an island in man coverage and is well positioned in zone. He is a bit of a liability in run support, but he is a quick-twitched athlete that should not have a problem covering agile slot receivers in the NFL. Brown should be able to play immediately in nickel and dime packages and he will probably be a second day pick.
Cortez Allen played for a smaller football program at the Citadel, where he excelled as a corner. He played in every year he was in school, and earned SoCon second-team honors in each of his last two seasons. However, Allen was not given the same praise as Brown on his NFL.com profile:
Allen is blessed with the physical tools (great size) to eventually become a backup corner for a press-heavy team but is a raw prospect lacking the natural coverage instincts to develop into a starter. Very capable of jamming receivers at the line but can struggle to mirror once in a trail position. Utilizes his length and reach to rack up the pass break-ups and extend for difficult INTs but needs to show more aggressiveness on jump balls and when taking on blockers against the run. Instincts and awareness need to be developed. Allen likely will be taken on Day 3.
The Need
It reads like the movie Groundhog Hog, but the Steelers have been drafting players in the secondary for ages. In 2011, they would use back-to-back picks on the position, selecting Brown in the third round (95th overall) and Allen (128th overall) in the fourth round.
The dual need was due to William Gay entering the final year of his contract, and the decline of Bryant McFadden. Keenan Lewis was also on the the roster, but still operating under his rookie contract.
The Outcome
Pittsburgh has been often criticized for playing zone defense, but you cannot fault them for trying to pick up players who could play press coverage. Both Brown and Allen were physical corners who should’ve been able to transition their game to the pro level. However, Brown struggled with injuries, being placed on Injured Reserve in each of his three seasons with the Steelers. He saw his most time in 2012, where he dressed for 15 games, but overall failed to make an impact, and would never become a starter.
Cortez Allen showed promise. He would finish his 2013 season with 51 tackles, two interceptions (one for a touchdown), and 13 passes defended. Perhaps in a kneejerk reaction to losing Keenan Lewis in free agency a season earlier, the Steelers “rewarded” Allen with a five-year, $26 million contract, based on that season alone.
He would become a ghost after seemingly losing his confidence that same: his draft profile quote above became a reality, and while Allen was often in a position to make plays, he never did. The Steelers would bench him in favor of Brice McCain. Allen would mysteriously land on IR near the end of the season.
Cortez would appear one last time in the Steelers first game of 2015 against the New England Patriots, but would once again be placed on Injured Reserve with no explanation given as to how he was “injured”.
Pittsburgh would finally cut ties with him before the 2016 NFL Draft. He would not receive another chance with another team, but Brown would get a shot with the Jets but would be released during final cuts before the 2015 regular season.
Both cornerbacks are currently out of football.
