Grades for each team are among the most meaningless byproducts of any draft. Nobody can predict injuries, career lengths or how well players will transition to the pros. The only way to evaluate a draft the day after it happens is to look at how well a team filled its short and long-term needs.
That’s why I love what the Steelers did in the draft. Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert deserve an A, if we were grading, because they addressed so many needs. The Steelers picked up a few players who can help them next season and a few with high upside who could develop into something special in the future.
There was wide-ranging debate on whether the Steelers should draft a quarterback early, or at all. Ben Roethlisberger fueled the debate with some postseason comments about needing time to evaluate if he was going to keep playing. The Steelers were said to be flirting with the idea of drafting a quarterback high in the draft, had other more pressing needs and opted not to take a quarterback early. That’s why Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs, in the fourth round, was a perfect pick.
The Steelers didn’t waste a high pick on a developmental player but also didn’t pick some stiff who has no chance to become a starter. Dobbs has NFL size (6 feet, 3 inches), arm strength and athleticism. However, he does need to work on his accuracy and footwork. He may never pan out but also has the tools to be very good. The Steelers got their developmental quarterback but used only a fourth-round pick to do it. That’s smart drafting.
It would have been foolish for the Steelers not to acquire a receiver who can help immediately. They can’t trust Martavis Bryant, no matter how many times he says he learned his lesson, and Sammie Coates is way too inconsistent. JuJu Smith-Schuster will be a very good slot receiver — he’s 6-foot-2, physical and a good blocker. He may not be a starter but he will help the Steelers next season.
I wasn’t crazy about T.J. Watt, the Steelers’ first-round selection, because there were other available players who could turn into something better. Watt will be a good NFL player, maybe not a great one, but he has an extreme work ethic and a high motor. Those players generally pan out, and Watt fills the Steelers’ need for a rushing outside linebacker. He tallied 11½ sacks last season at Wisconsin but may need a little bit of time to adjust to the Steelers’ scheme.
The Steelers filled another glaring need, cornerback, with another high-risk, high-reward player — Tennessee’s Cameron Sutton — in the third round. He probably would have been drafted higher had he not lost half of the 2016 season with an ankle injury. The Steelers added another corner in the fifth round — Utah’s Brian Allen. He’s a classic late-round pick, with good speed and athleticism but a need for improvement on technique and tackling. If the Steelers can develop him, he has the raw physical tools to succeed.
Louisville long snapper Colin Holba was a curious sixth-round pick on the surface, but current long snapper Greg Warren is old (35) and expensive ($1.08 million in 2017). Drafting Holba was a smart move to become younger and cheaper at that spot.
We could look back on this draft and say it was a total bust, but we won’t know for a few years. Therefore, we can only judge it on how well the picks line up with what the Steelers need. That’s why I love this class — the Steelers appear to have made themselves better for 2017 and beyond.
First Published: May 1, 2017, 5:57 p.m.
