The Steelers paraded 19 college prospects through their doors on the South Side the past two weeks, and if anything can be gleaned from the experience it is this:

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Two more passed through yesterday, including the No. 2-ranked corner on everyone's board, Dunta Robinson. That makes it six cornerbacks in town in the past three days, nearly a third of the entire group of visitors.

Robinson did not need to major in logic at the University of South Carolina to determine what the Steelers have in mind eight days from now.

"It's a real good situation; I know they need corners," Robinson said. "That's not taking anything away from the corners they've had, but I know they're a team that needs corners. I think it would be a good situation for me to come in and prove myself and play right away."

While the Steelers remain hot after a quarterback in the first round, the top two needs on their team are cornerback and offensive tackle. Robinson was joined at the Steelers' offices yesterday by Ricardo Colclough of Tusculum, a Division II school in Tennessee that has no NFL alumni. Three other cornerbacks stopped by Wednesday: Ohio State's Chris Gamble, Joey Thomas of Montana State, and Arkansas' Ahmad "Batman" Carroll. BYU cornerback Jernaro Gilford paid a visit Tuesday.

The top-rated cornerback in the draft is DeAngelo Hall of Virginia Tech, followed closely by Robinson and then a steep drop-off. If the Steelers are going to draft a cornerback with the 11th overall pick, it would have to be one of those two.

Hall is slightly faster but Robinson, who is 5 feet 10 1/2, 185 pounds, is more physical. Both run in the low 4.3s.

"Me and DeAngelo bring different dimensions to the game," Robinson said. "I'm a physical corner. I like to get down and dirty, I like to tackle, I like to support the run. DeAngelo's a great return man. It all depends on what teams are looking for, what kind of corner they need."

Many project both cornerbacks to be gone in the top 10; draft analyst Mel Kiper has Houston taking Hall at pick No. 10. If both were taken before their turn, it's unlikely the Steelers would select another corner at No. 11. Gamble, Carroll, Colclough (pronounced "Coke-lee") and the rest would interest the Steelers only if they wind up with a lower pick in the first round via trade or in the second round.

"They seem to be serious about drafting a corner," Robinson said.

The Steelers want the so-called shutdown cornerback, someone fast who can blanket a receiver all the way down field. The prime example of that type was Deon Sanders. In the past, they've gone with more physical corners such as Chad Scott, their first-round draft choice in 1997, to support the run, but that is not their priority in this draft. Their lack of good man-to-man coverage by their cornerbacks prompted them to change their defense last season, and the more passive style of coverage led to the fewest sacks (35) by a Bill Cowher-coached team.

Colclough (5-11, 193) isn't as fast as the top two cornerbacks and played at a school that wasn't on the radar of NFL scouts until this year. But he did well in the Senior Bowl against other top prospects.

"I look at it like football is football, no matter where you play," Colclough said.

NOTES -- The Steelers yesterday rescinded their one-year qualifying offer to restricted free agent Mathias Nkwenti, making him an unrestricted free agent. Nkwenti was a fourth-round draft choice in 2001. They also re-signed backup offensive tackle Barrett Brooks, an eight-year pro, for one year. Brooks joined them Oct. 22 to provide depth at tackle. ... Today is the last chance for restricted free agents to sign deals with other teams. If they do not do so, their rights revert to their previous clubs. It appears none of the Steelers remaining restricted free agents will sign elsewhere: OG Keydrick Vincent and CB Chidi Iwuoma.