Improving the secondary was a high priority for the Steelers in the 2003 draft and in the 4th round, although higher-profile cornerbacks were available, they decided on Louisiana-Lafayette's Ivan Taylor. The Steelers were impressed with Ivan's raw physical ability, even though he had played only two seasons of college ball and only his senior season on defense. They also saw good potential for him as a kick returner

At Louisiana-Lafayette, Ivan proved himself to be a hard hitter with good concentration on the pass and great speed to recover if beaten on the long pass. He also dispayed nice timing and jumping ability to fight for the pass. He was considered one of the finest athletes to enter the draft by many.

As a walk-on his junior year, Taylor played running back and flashed some of his athletic potential with a 48-yard touchdown run in the game with Arizona State. Then, against North Texas, he recorded a 65-yard run for a touchdown. He moved to cornerback as a senior and showed that he had all the tools for the position except for the ability to catch the ball, which is something the Steelers will no doubt have him working hard on.

Ivan recorded 49 tackles (37 solos) with 8 pass deflections and 2 forced fumbles in his one season on defense and averaged 18.1 yards on kickoff returns over two seasons.