The Steelers’ draft strategy will not change

It’s NFL Draft week, and the Pittsburgh Steelers still have holes to fill in their roster. A franchise notorious for building the core of their team in the draft, will not change their ways.

General manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin met with the media on Monday to discuss the upcoming NFL Draft, which starts this Thursday. Colbert did the majority of the talking, which he usually does in these draft pressers, but stayed true to the mantra that the Steelers don’t always draft for need.

"Drafting for need has never built a winning franchise.–Kevin Colbert"

Colbert went on explain that if a player of need is close to the best player available, they will choose a player that is a better fit. He was adamant in stating they will not reach for a player just because of the position he plays.

This, of course, played a role in last season’s draft class, which the greatest position on need on the team was not drafted in 2018. Ryan Shazier’s spinal injury has left a gaping hole at inside linebacker and has only been addressed with the signing of Jon Bostic in free agency a year ago.

Some might want the Steelers to draft more for need than they do, but it’s hard to argue the value the current regime has gotten in the later rounds.

Names like Kelvin Beachum, Tyler Matakevich, Vince Williams, Jesse James, and Antonio Brown have all been drafted in the fifth round or later this decade. There are also guys who were taken higher up in the draft that weren’t necessarily for need, but were taken anyway and could have been labeled as “best player available.” JuJu Smith-Schuster potentially jumps out as one of those guys.

It’s no secret the Steelers need more help on defense than offense, even with the departures on Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. Colbert and Tomlin will be cognizant of that, but don’t think they’ll reach for a player just because of the position he plays.

"If you drop to a significant depth in a round, you’re going to make a mistake, and that’s been proven time and time again historically.–Kevin Colbert"

The Steelers boast 10 picks in this year’s draft, which gives the team all kinds of flexibility. There was plenty of talk about trading up or down in the draft this week, notably recalling the times they traded up for Troy Polamalu and Santonio Holmes. Having as many picks as the Steelers do this year, it’s feasible for the Steelers to trade up for a player they may desperately want.

There’s a lot of talk this year about Devin White out of LSU and Michigan’s Devin Bush as two players the Steelers could go trade up for. They are both dynamic players that play inside linebacker, the greatest need for the team. There’s a slim chance Bush falls to the Steelers at the 20th overall pick, but White is more than likely a top-ten pick. No names were thrown around at the press conference on Monday, but the speculation around these two players is significant.

If the Steelers don’t trade up for either one and they both get drafted before the Steelers’ pick, it will be because of how they run their draft board. It will be because they didn’t view reaching for either one of those players was worth trading away significant pieces or picks at where either player was drafted.

When they traded up for Troy Polamalu, they traded a 3rd- and 6th-round pick to move from 27th overall to 16th. The way Colbert explained it, when Polamalu fell to 16, that’s where they felt comfortable moving up to reach for him. And he became the best safety in Steeler history.

The biggest hope for the Steelers in this year’s draft shouldn’t necessarily be what positions they draft, but getting dynamic, play-making players, especially on defense. They don’t need another raw-talented, high-ceiling guy like Artie Burns. They need to get guys who can make plays from whatever position they play, not reach for players just because of what position they play. And in this deep of a draft, it’s likely the two will coincide.