Over the years, the Steelers have made a habit of taking young players with plenty of upside potential with their draft picks, banking on what those players might become down the road than looking for players who were more finished products.
But that changed a bit this year. The Steelers selected six players in this weekend’s NFL Draft, five of whom were college seniors, with only one underclassman.
Because of that, the players they selected are a little older. But they’re also a little wiser. And stronger. And perhaps better prepared to deal with what promises to be an uncertain offseason.
Funny thing is, it just worked out that way.
“After we took (guard Kevin) Dotson, I said, ‘Coach, we’re going against the grain here.’" Kevin Colbert recalled telling Mike Tomlin Saturday night of the second of the team’s two fourth-round draft picks. “Three seniors in the first four picks. There wasn’t any intention. That’s just the way it broke this year. We’re very comfortable with that. We usually like to catch them younger because they’re a little fresher. But when you get to the senior, he comes in at a different maturity level. He’s either finished school or is closer to finishing school. He’s played that extra year at the college level, which always benefits the player.”
Part of the reason for that was because of the national shutdown because of the COVID-19 outbreak. There were precious few college pro days before things were shut down. Teams didn’t have as much medical information on hand regarding potential picks.
So, instead of going with younger players they hadn’t seen as much of, the Steelers decided to take players on whom they had been keeping an eye the past couple of seasons.
“We’ve usually been heavy on the underclassmen in drafts. A lot of these guys we’ve been watching for several years,” Colbert said. “I can’t say this was just one-time insider information, the majority of these guys, we’ve been watching them for a couple of years.”
OK, maybe there was a little inside information. Two of the Steelers’ picks in this draft were from Maryland. New quarterbacks coach Matt Canada was an offensive coordinator and interim head coach there when both running back Anthony McFarland Jr., the first of the team’s two fourth-round picks, and sixth-round pick, bruising safety Antoine Brooks Jr., were there. And head coach Mike Tomlin’s eldest son, Dino, was a freshman receiver for the Terrapins in 2019.
Maryland’s current offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery also is a former Steelers wide receivers coach. The Steelers knew all about those two players.
“We have inside information on a lot of our picks in most years,” Tomlin said. “You can draw the parallels and make a story out of these two, but the reality is that we work our tails off and gather intel on everyone that we select. This one is just probably more obvious from an outside standpoint. Matt’s experience with those guys and that program is obvious.”
The experience of the players brought in was obvious, too. The Steelers added players with a lot of starting experience in college. They brought in guys who have been around the game a little longer.
With the league not holding any on-field OTAs, having players who could learn on their own or via the virtual OTA sessions that will start Monday will be critical.
“It’s going to be challenging,” Tomlin said. “But you know my mentality, it’s going to be challenging for everyone. From that standpoint, it’s our job to be innovative and forward in our thinking in terms of utilizing the tools and technology and resources to get to know them, so they get to know us and we can begin the giving and receiving of information.
“We’re excited about it.”
Just as they are always excited about adding a new group of young players to the mix – even ones that are a little older than what they’re accustomed to bringing in.
Second-round pick Chase Claypool will turn 22 later this year, as will McFarland. Third-round outside linebacker Alex Highsmith and Brooks will turn 23.
Fourth-round guard Dotson and seventh-round nose tackle Carlos Davis both will turn 24 this year.
But perhaps that extra experience and maturity will help the Steelers. It's a reason why they signed so many players out of the XFL. Not only were they getting players they had just seen compete in the fledgling league this year, they were getting players who are more known commodities and will be better equipped to handle what has been a challenging offseason and will continue to be for some time.
"We had the draft with everybody at a remote location because the commissioner felt that allowing some teams to have access to their facilities and others not would be an unequal playing field," said Art Rooney II. "I think the commissioner is going to want to do the same thing as players try to come in and work out. The commissioner is only going to do that when every team has access to their facilities. Fortunately, we have a little more time before we have to get into the meat of our training camp and things like that."
Teams had better be ready to hit the ground running when that does occur. And maybe having new players who are a little more mature will help that process.
To continue reading, log into your account:
