4 takeaways from Steelers pre-draft press conference with Kevin Colbert
By Tommy Jaggi
The Steelers are open to considering multiple positions in round one
Kevin Colbert did a good job of keeping any personal interests in players under wraps. The good news for fans wanting the Steelers to target the best player available this year is that the Steelers general manager made it a point to say that ‘we’re wide open’ this year with the first pick. While running back still falls into this department, so does center, offensive tackle, cornerback, edge defender, and linebacker (one would have to assume, at least).
It was encouraging to hear that the Steelers were not going to hone in on one positional group in the first round. Rather, Colbert assured us that they are going to be ‘wide open to any position group and see where this goes.’ This is the news that all fans should have been waiting to hear.
Based on these statements, it’s incredibly difficult to narrow down the pick at 24. Najee Harris and Travis Etienne are obviously options that many fans want them to consider, but Colbert’s statements make it sound like nearly anyone (of value) is in play here. While we don’t have confirmation that Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert have met with all of the top potential candidates in the draft this year, the Steelers GM assured us that they had Zoom meetings with over 100 draft prospects – meaning that they could have very well met with players like Teven Jenkins, Christian Darrisaw, or Zaven Collins without us knowing about it.
The more options and positions the team is considering in the first round, the less likely they are to reach for a position of need. This is what every fan should want.