A look into the Steelers draft strategy during the Colbert era

Second round

The Steelers have a unique strategy in the second round. They like to take wide-receivers with potential and develop them. They like to have depth at this position to give Ben Roethlisberger plenty of options. They don’t really sign Wide Receivers to second contracts unless they are Antonio Brown.

As a result of not signing receivers to second-contracts, they have to draft the position every year. This year it was Chase Claypool in the second-round. The year before it was Diontae Johnson, the year before it was James Washington and the year before that it was Juju Smith-Schuster.

I know Diontae Johnson was a third-round pick, but it was a pick; so, early in the third round that the Steelers probably had a second-round grade on him despite saying they had a first-round grade on him.