Apr 26, 2007 By Jim Wexell For The 4 min read

Mike Tomlin made a rookie mistake when he answered a question about a player at the Steelers’ pre-draft non-conference, where information is never allowed to be passed. Tomlin, though, couldn’t help himself when he was asked about Pitt cornerback Darrelle Revis.

“The thing that’s interesting to me is that he’s a power/transition guy. He’s a power player,” Tomlin said as a horrified Kevin Colbert looked on. “You like guys like that – strong. He’s got a nice body, a nice combination of size and speed, and he’s a young guy, a true junior. You would imagine that there’s a lot of football in front of him. He seems to have his head on straight. He’s a sharp young man. He has a lot of things that are attractive about him.

“He’d be somebody that I’d be interested in, sure,” Tomlin added. “He’s definitely a viable guy. I don’t think his name is too far down on any of the 32 boards.”

Tomlin finished and another reporter – thinking this honesty stuff was kind of refreshing – asked about another player, but Colbert dove in.

“No, you got your one,” said the personnel chief.

The question remains: Will the Steelers get their one?

The value at pick 15 favors a cornerback. The top defensive linemen are expected to be gone and the top outside linebackers aren’t ranked that high.

And, Colbert did say at the non-conference that, “We could use help at any level of our defense.”

So, since the Steelers are packed with four quality safeties, that leaves cornerback, and Revis could be available at No. 15.

“The guy from Pitt is for real,” said Scout.com’s Tom Marino, a pro scout of 35 years. “The guy from Michigan, Leon Hall, played lousy against Ohio State but he’s the real deal, too.”

Revis and Hall are the cream of the cornerback crop with Chris Houston of Arkansas and Aaron Ross of Texas ranked three and four by most experts.

Revis, Hall and Houston all visited the Steelers, with Revis perhaps the best fit.

“If he gets past Buffalo at 12,” said NFL Network’s Mike Mayock. “I think he’s a cover-2 corner who’d fit Mike Tomlin’s system. I think he’d be a perfect fit in Pittsburgh.”

It all makes sense, but no one has asked either of the Rooneys for their opinion. Not that they’d interfere, but they may remind the new coach that in each of the last five drafts they’ve drafted a defensive back on the first day. And that they just signed two cornerbacks – Ike Taylor and Deshea Townsend – to contracts totaling more than $30 million.

Of course, Townsend will be 32 on opening day, but he’s being pushed by another premium draft pick, Bryant McFadden.

The Rooneys might also prefer that Tomlin – a former defensive backs coach at Tampa Bay – and new secondary coach Ray Horton, take a crack at coaching up former second-round pick Ricardo Colclough before the final season of his rookie contract. The Steelers also have cornerbacks Anthony Madison and Chidi Iwuoma on the roster.

It’s not a position of great need, unless the staff wants to replace Colclough right now. Revis is a sure-fire answer, but perhaps the Steelers will look to the middle rounds.

Also among their 30 official visitors were Virginia cornerback Marcus Hamilton (5-11, 191) and Wisconsin free safety Rod Rogers (6-1, 187). Both are late-round prospects.

First-day candidates include Maryland’s Josh Wilson (5-9, 189), South Carolina’s Fred Bennett (6-1, 196), and Tennessee’s Jonathan Wade (5-10, 195).

Sleeper prospects include Kent State’s Usama Young (5-11, 196, 43 vertical jump), Alabama’s Ramzee Robinson (5-9, 195, 23 reps) and Baylor’s Anthony Arline (6-2, 199).

Steelers’ value board:

DARRELLE REVIS, Pitt, CB, first round.

USAMA YOUNG, Kent State, CB, fourth round.

RAMZEE ROBINSON, Alabama, CB, fifth round.