The Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly struck a stunning trade Saturday evening, landing standout slot cornerback Brandon Boykin for a fifth round draft pick in a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Philly has reportedly fielded trade offers for several months for the 25-year-corner, who said a couple of months ago that being limited to the slot has been “getting real old.”
The former 2012 fourth round pick (No. 123 overall) out of Georgia is arguably the NFL’s best nickel cornerback, but he really wants an opportunity to prove himself as a starter on the outside.
We fully expect Pittsburgh to give him that opportunity, using him on the outside in base sets and then kicking him inside to the slot where he’s been so dominant in sub-packages.
His less-than-ideal size (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) likely prevents him from being an elite every-down outside corner, but if he lives up to expectations this season, he’ll likely earn a big contract on the open market next spring.
This is a very savvy move by Pittsburgh, and Boykin should significantly strengthen the secondary.
Over the last two years, he’s graded out as the NFL’s second-best and No. 19 cornerback, respectively, per Pro Football Focus. He’ll make $1.542 million in the final year of his rookie deal in 2015.
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