With the 49th pick in the draft …
When Kevin Colbert sits down for the start of the NFL draft, he has to be concerned about the injury factor.
But we’re not talking about Ben Roethlisberger.
The future hall of fame quarterback missed 14 games after injuring his elbow last season, basically crushing the team’s playoff hopes.
If that happens again this year, Colbert, the Steelers’ general manager, knows he can do little with his draft picks to protect the position and save the season. Pittsburgh finished with an 8-8 record and out of the playoffs with neither of Roethlisberger’s backup appearing ready to step in.
Mel Kiper and Todd McShay each projected a quarterback being selected with Pittsburgh’s second-round selection but it’s doubtful that will happen. The Steelers traded their first-round pick to the Miami Dolphins for defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick.
The injury problem Colbert can manage with this draft is running back James Conner, who missed nine games combined over the last two years.
Conner will be counted on to spark the running game, which will be needed to give the offense a boost while Roethlisberger shakes off the rust from a long layoff. Conner also will be in the final year of his contract so that make this an important season.
Conner’s top backups – Benny Snell, Jaylen Samuels and Trey Edmunds – have had their moments but are overall pretty ordinary.
Selecting a running back makes sense in this draft for the present because of Conner’s fraility and the future when Roethlisberger is no longer there. A good running game and strong defense can take a team a long way.
So with the 49th pick in the NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select Clyde Edwards-Helaire, running back, LSU.
Edwards-Helaire is a perfect back for the Steelers, tough, fast, durable and has good hands. He came up big in the biggest game of the season, rushing for 110 yards on 15 carries and catching five passes for 54 yards a in 42-25 win over Clemson in the CFP National Championship game. Edwards-Helaire finished the season with 1,414 rushing yards and 16 TDs. He caught 55 passes for 453 yards and a TD. He made first team All-SEC and was a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile player in college football.
At 5-8 and 207 pounds, he’s a bit undersized but that just makes him harder to find in the backfield.
From this point on, everyone is just guessing what Colbert might do, but what the heck, here goes.
In the third round, the Steelers go to the deepest position in the draft and select either Bryan Edwards of South Carolina or K.J. Hill of Ohio State. You can never have enough wide receivers.
The Steelers need linebacking depth so with the first of two picks in the fourth round, they take Troy Dye of Oregon or Justin Strnad of Wake Forest. With the other pick in the fourth round, the Steelers help the offensive line depth with the selection of Darryl Williams, who played at guard and center at Mississippi State.
With one of their final two picks, let’s hope it’s the player with the cool name: Javelin Guidry, a cornerback from Utah.
Assistant sports editor Joe Tuscano can be reached at jtuscano@observer-reporter.com.