By Joe Rutter
April 28, 2018
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Marcus Allen (Matthew O'Haren/USA Today Sports)
This was supposed to be the draft in which the Steelers added the final pieces to a Super Bowl contender. Not one aimed at restocking for the future.
Although he didn't get an inside linebacker to replace Ryan Shazier, general manager Kevin Colbert kept one eye on 2018 and the other on the future when he made his seven draft selections.
And he didn't apologize one bit Saturday for taking that tactic.
“Since I've been a part of this thing, we've had one losing season,” said Colbert, who joined the Steelers in 2000. “That's one too many.”
Colbert has presided over two Super Bowl championship teams and another that played in the NFL's biggest game. With the Steelers coming off a 13-3 season, he wasn't about to deter from his plan for building his roster.
“This is the challenge — 2018, win the Super Bowl,” Colbert said. “But we're never going to lose sight of making sure we can compete each and every year.”
Which is why for every draft pick who can contribute in 2018 — second-round wide receiver James Washington is the most noteworthy — Colbert selected others who don't project to be starters until future seasons. In that category are third-round quarterback Mason Rudolph, third-round tackle Chuks Okorafor and seventh-round defensive lineman Joshua Frazier.
Skeptics would say with the window to win another Super Bowl still open, the Steelers didn't go all in during the draft. After all, they ignored both linebacker spots and used only three of seven picks to address a defense that yielded 45 points in a home playoff loss to Jacksonville. And two of those defensive draftees occupy the same position.
Again, Colbert begs to differ.
“We go all in every year,” he said. “We want to win it every year. I'll never support mortgaging the future to sell out to win.”
After the Steelers surprisingly used all three selections Friday night on offensive players, it stood to reason they would address the void at inside linebacker Saturday. In the fifth round, Colbert did turn back to defense, but it was to add a second safety, Penn State's Marcus Allen, who will join first-rounder Terrell Edmunds in the secondary.
With the second pick of the fifth round, it was back to offense. Jaylen Samuels, an H-back at N.C. State, was the choice. He will move to running back full-time with the Steelers and could be used as a change-of-pace runner to complement All-Pro Le'Veon Bell this season.
With their final pick, the Steelers took another raw talent — Alabama defensive tackle Joshua Frazier, who in 2017 played mostly as a reserve behind first-round pick Da'Ron Payne.
“We believe that these guys can not only help us in the future, but they also are capable of helping us this year — if the earn it,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “We don't discount any contributions or make any assumptions regarding division of labor or roles.
“These guys will be given an opportunity to carve out roles for themselves this year. If they do and it's significant, great. If they don't, we've got quality people that are working, and they're in an environment that's conducive to them growing.”
Colbert said the absence of an inside linebacker in the draft class is softened by the signing of Jon Bostic in free agency. He will start alongside Vince Williams with Tyler Matakevich in reserve.
The Steelers wanted to take Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans with the No. 28 overall pick, but the Tennessee Titans traded up to select him at No. 22. Edmunds was chosen instead.
“We're not going to reach,” Colbert said.
In this era when sub-package defenses are on the field for 75 percent of the snaps, the Steelers can use any of the three safeties they have added since March (free agent Morgan Burnett being the other) to play the hybrid linebacker spot.
“Several of these guys have had that in their past,” Tomlin said, “and we are excited about looking at that as a potential component of our play.”
The Steelers also passed on an outside linebacker and have just one player (Anthony Chickillo) with NFL experience behind starters Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt, Colbert reminded that 2017 seventh-round pick Keion Adams will return after missing his rookie season with a shoulder injury.
“You always had him in the bank,” Colbert said. “He's really another seventh-round pick in our eyes for this season.”
Rudolph, who was drafted after the Steelers traded up three spots in the third round, might not see the field for two more seasons, when Ben Roethlisberger's contract expires. Or maybe longer, if Roethlisberger makes good on his wish to play three seasons.
Rudolph, though, was too enticing for the Steelers to pass up.
“He was with the group of the top quarterbacks,” Colbert said. “That was a really good position.”
Rudolph was available in the second round when the Steelers had the No. 60 overall pick. After trading Martavis Bryant to Oakland, Colbert filled the void at wide receiver when he selected Rudolph's favorite target in Washington.
“Some positions you're helping right now,” Colbert said. “We think James Washington … probably is going to help more immediately than, obviously, Mason Rudolph. He'll help more in '18, but you have to protect the future as well. … We have a pretty good team.”
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