Steelers GM Kevin Colbert endorses taking ‘dynamic’ running backs early

Kevin Colbert recently held a pre-draft press conference. Here’s what the Steelers GM had to say about drafting a running back early. 

The Steelers have taken one running back in the first round of the NFL Draft in the past 31 years… Just one. However, when it comes to draft trends, perhaps Pittsburgh’s front office is willing to change things up.

Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin recently held their pre-draft press conference in which they fielded questions from the media. When asked about his thoughts on the value of the running back position in today’s NFL, Colbert gave the following response:

"“I don’t think you can ever underestimate the value of a quality player at any position and running back is no different. I understand that the game has changed. It’s a more horizontal game than it is a vertical game. People don’t play traditional football as coach and I grew up with… If you have a dynamic player at any position, that player should make a difference. If you look at the Hall of Fame runners, most of those guys were taken in high rounds, so I don’t ever place that value high or low on a given position. I base it on who the player is and what that player can do to help us.”"

While it’s possible that Colbert may just be putting up a smokescreen, he certainly sounded sincere in his belief about what he said. This makes me question his whole draft philosophy.

Taking running backs in the first round hasn’t worked out for most teams. In recent years, players like Rashaad Penny, Sony Michel, Leonard Fournette, Trent Richardson, and David Wilson haven’t come close to living up to their first-round status. Even the players who turn out to be everything the team was expecting (like Ezekiel Elliott and Todd Gurley) end up hurting the organization in the long run, as both required massive second contracts that they have fallen short of living up to.

Despite swinging and missing on Rashard Mendenhall in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft, Kevin Colbert doesn’t seem to hold the running back position at a lower level than others – claiming that a ‘dynamic player at any position’ should make a difference.

The Steelers could have Najee Harris or Travis Etienne on their mind

Nothing about Kevin Colbert’s recent statements leads us to believe that Alabama’s Najee Harris or Clemson’s Travis Etienne shouldn’t be in strong consideration for the team with the 24th overall pick this year. While Colbert made it a point to talk about exploring a trade-back during the press conference, his words would indicate that running back is a very real possibility in the first -round.

This goes against everything the Steelers have done in the NFL Draft for decades. Colbert has taken just one running back this high in his career as a general manager. Prior to that, Pittsburgh hasn’t sniffed a running back that early in the draft since busting on Tim Worley in 1989. In fact, the last four running backs the team has taken in the first-round have averaged to play just 4.75 years with the Steelers before finding a different home.

Pittsburgh has never placed a very high value on the running back position on draft day. However, if they view Najee Harris or Travis Etienne as a ‘dynamic’ football player, perhaps they make an exception in the first round. At the very least, running back is a position we simply cannot rule out with the 24th overall pick this year because of Kevin Colbert’s recent statements.