NFL teams are permitted 30 pre-draft visits every offseason. This is a chance to meet prospects and get a first hand look at them, watch film with them, and get a feel for their character.

With pre-draft visits starting to be announced, a surprising name popped up in the newest batch of prospects that will be visiting the South Side.

Draft visitors: CB Jourdan Lewis, OLB Derek Rivers, S Monte Nicholson, OLB Takkarist McKinley

— Bob Labriola (@BobLabriola) April 4, 2017

Cornerback Jourdan Lewis from Michigan is the name that pops out in this list. Not because of his talent or alma mater, but because of his recent off-field issues.

Just last month Lewis was facing domestic violence charges after an altercation with his girlfriend. Both him and his girlfriends have different stories of what happened and Lewis plead not guilty in court.

Jourdan Lewis pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor domestic violence charge in court today. He had no comment leaving the courthouse.

— Dan Murphy (@DanMurphyESPN) March 16, 2017

This article isn’t about the issue of domestic violence or who is telling the truth, I want to make that clear. The question I want to dig into is if Lewis is a player the Steelers will seriously consider drafting.

Looking back at the Steelers previous drafts under Mike Tomlin, the team hasn’t been afraid to take chances on players with character issues. Unfortunately, though, the Steelers have been burned by many of these players. Character issues were the bane for some players drafted years ago.

The Steelers drafted Alameda Ta’amu in the 4th round of the 2012 NFL draft. Ta’amu had gotten a DUI in college and the Steelers still took a chance on him despite this incident. Later that year Ta’Amu was arrested for evading the police while driving drunk and his career in Pittsburgh ended shortly after.

The Steelers drafted Chris Rainey in the 5th round of the 2012 NFL draft. Though he didn’t have any character issues we knew of prior to being drafted, he was arrested for battery following the season and was later released.

Instances like Ta’amu and Rainey shine a harsh light on the Steelers experience with character issues, but not every story has been bad.

The story that is the most relevant when examining Lewis involves a fan-favorite: James Harrison.

It’s easy to forget James Harrison was involved in a domestic abuse incident many years ago. In March of 2008, Harrison was arrested and charged with simple assault and criminal mischief following a domestic altercation with his girlfriend. A month later the charges were dropped following Harrison’s’ completion of anger management and psychological counseling. The team retained Harrison, with Dan Rooney releasing the following statement:

“Each incident must be considered on a case-by-case basis… In the situation with James Harrison, he contacted us immediately after his incident and has taken responsibility for his actions.”

This rationale is not indicative of the reasoning behind retaining Harrison but gives a peek into the decisions involved with handling off-field issues. Not every case is a binary, black-and-white decision. How a player condones themselves following the situation is vital to the process, and they must be able to prove that they can come back from the incident and are truly sorry.

In recent years we’ve seen teams take risks that pay off. The Cowboys, for example, have taken risks in recent years: some have worked out, some haven’t.

They drafted Dak Prescott last year following a DUI and he has proven himself to be a capable starter and hasn’t had issues since. On the other hand, they took a risk on Randy Gregory who is currently facing a one-year suspension for failed drug tests.

Every situation and player are different.

Whatever happened with Lewis happened, that cannot be changed. Just because the Steelers are bringing in Lewis for a visit does not mean he is on their board. They likely want to bring him in to get a first-hand look at his character; to get a read on if he is truly apologetic for the incident that occurred and if they feel it is an issue that will not be repeated in the future.

We’ve seen the Steelers get burned by character issues in the past, but we’ve also seen redemption stories in the NFL. Tyrann Mathieu of the Arizona Cardinals missed two whole years of college football after repeated failed drug tests and a stint in rehab. He was able to turn his life around and has thrived in the NFL.

Mathieu isn’t the rule though. As Mr. Rooney stated, every case is different. Every player is different.

Domestic violence is despicable, there is no denying that. The Steelers may speak with Lewis and be completely turned off. However, they may think he is a genuine person that can overcome his mistake. The only way to know is to do their due diligence and bring him in for a visit.