Four years after Mike Tomlin made the official announcement of the Pittsburgh Steelers seventh-round pick by first referencing his position as, “Swiss Army Knife,” Tomlin was at it again about a seventh-round pick.

“He has a Swiss Army Knife skill set,” Tomlin said Saturday, not long after his team selected Central Michigan’s Donte Kent at No. 229 overall.

The aforementioned player Tomlin was referencing back in 2021, Tre Norwood, played free safety, slot corner and some in-the-box safety over 32 games with the Steelers over the ensuing two seasons.

Kent’s college resume was likewise varied, albeit at different positions in the secondary. According to Pro Football Focus, for Central Michigan over five seasons Kent played 2,049 snaps as an outside cornerback, 856 as a slot/nickel and 237 as an in-the-box safety (as well as 36 as a free safety).

It also should be noted that in the official bios the Steelers distributed following the selection of Kent, “CB/PR” was listed as his position. That’s an indication Kent will be given a serious opportunity to complete to be the Steelers’ punt returner.

Aside from that, it’s a given that a seventh-round pick will contribute in some capacity on special teams if he has any chance at all to play as a rookie. Longer-term, though, if Kent earns a role defensively, where might it be?

“He’s capable of playing inside and out,” Tomlin said, referencing cornerback. “He also added to his resume this year by proving to be a very capable punt returner, and I think that’s things that are attractive to you later in the draft, a guy that adds versatility in his game. So, we’re excited about putting him in the mix.”

Kent’s role over the past two seasons evolved more inside. He lined up in the slot more than twice as much there this past season than on the outside in 2024. That was a transition that began in 2023 for Kent.

“I feel like I could do both,” the 5-foot-10, 189-pound Kent said. “I’m a versatile player. I could play the nickel position. I also could play the cornerback position as well.

“Just my versatility, being able to play in different positions at a high level, I think that’s really what caught (the Steelers’) attention.”

Kent, a four-year starter, was first-team all-MAC in 2022 when he was primarily an outside corner, then picked up consecutive second-team all-MAC honors the past two seasons when he was mostly playing on the inside.

This past season, he also was second in the MAC in punt-return average at 13.6 yards per attempt. He had a 68-yard return for a touchdown.

There’s no reason to believe Tomlin has ever seen Kent play in person, but Kent believes Tomlin would have if Kent’s senior high school year wasn’t amidst the pandemic. Kent, a star at Harrisburg High School, was selected to play in the annual Big 33 all-star game. It was never played, though, out of fears of covid.

Kent twice played in PIAA championship games and was named all-state as a player. He had two older brothers play in college — Desmond, in fact, briefly so at Robert Morris. Ronald Kent played one season as a teammate of Donte at Central Michigan and is now with the CFL’s B.C. Lions.

At his pro day earlier this spring, Donte Kent ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds. Though unofficial, that would have ranked sixth-fastest among the 24 cornerbacks who ran at the combine.

As per where Kent will start out at on defense, his official NFL draft profile, for what it’s worth, tabs Kent as “better suited for the slot.”

Kent, who had a Central Michigan career record 47 pass breakups, isn’t in a position to be picky. And in his conference call with media soon after being drafted, Kent seemed to be directly addressing Steelers coaches when he expressed that he’ll happily serve as the Swiss Army Knife his new head coach sees him as.

“I feel like I can play both (inside and out),” Kent said. “I don’t have a preference of where I should play. Where y’all think I should play at? Wherever y’all want me at, that’s where I’ll play.”

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