A look into the Steelers draft strategy during the Colbert era

Third round

The Steelers like to do something unique with the third-round. They like a high upside player who could be a starter. They usually draft it in positions where the current starter might not stay for very long.

An example of the past was when they took James Conner in the third round. They had Le’Veon Bell, but the addition of James Conner insulated them in case they could not get a contract done with Le’Veon Bell.

In the end, Le’Veon Bell left and James Conner became a very good feature back who went to the Pro Bowl.

But you can also look at more recent picks to see this strategy for the third-round. The Steelers drafted Alex Highsmith who has the potential to be a great all-around outside linebacker in the Steelers system. He also was a bit of a risk being from a small school, but the upside was there.

Another example was Justin Layne. He is a project, but the hope is that he can eventually take over for the aging Joe Haden. At this point, Joe Haden is still #2 corner worthy and Justin Layne is still developing but that could change in a year or two.