Pittsburgh Steelers 2014 Draft Behind The Scenes: Episode 2

The Pittsburgh Steelers are pulling back the curtain, so to speak, on their process of the draft. The Steelers website is showcasing a series of mini documentary-style videos giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the draft process for the Steelers from the end of the 2013 season till Roger Goodell announces the pick.

In the second installment of the series, we see that the process actually starts way back in early 2013, with the scouting process. Kevin Colbert explains that the Steelers employ the services of BLESTO scouting services. BLESTO is actually an acronym for Bears Lions Eagles Steelers Talent Organization and was founded in the 60s to help teams share in the cost of scouting college players throughout the country. These scouts cover regions and all report to BLESTO, where the teams get their scouting reports from.

In addition to utilizing BLESTO in the spring, the Steelers use evaluations similar to what we fans do during the football season; they watch college football. Where we might focus on our favorite teams or favorite conferences, the Steelers scouts, front office personnel and coaches look for players from all over the country from the big schools to the smaller schools.

Along with the information gathered from scouting and the NFL Combine, the team is allowed to bring in a certain number of players for interviews. This episode shows part of the Steelers interview with Stephon Tuitt, whom the Steelers drafted in the second round out of Notre Dame.

In addition to all the scouting and interviewing, how free agency plays out influences how the Steelers pick in the draft as well.

You can watch the second episode in its entirety here.

What are your thoughts, Steeler Nation? Are you learning more about the draft process through this series?