Apr 28, 2017 5 min read

PITTSBURGH – While there were trades galor in the first round of Thursday night’s opening round of the NFL Draft, the Steelers chose to stick to their guns and stay where they were at with the 30th pick.

With that 30th selection, Pittsburgh took Wisconsin outside linebacker T.J. Watt, the younger brother of three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt of Houston.

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert got his first look at Watt in the fall when he visited Wisconsin. Later in the year, he got a call from Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst, the former Pitt head coach whom Colbert knows well.

“T.J. Watt is somebody we’ve had our eye on since the early fall,” Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said. “After the season, (Wisconsin coach Paul) Chryst contacted me as head coaches will do from time to time. He said ‘This kid is thinking about coming out (early). He’s putting his name in to the committee, would you take a look at him. Paul and I have a great relationship. I said, ‘Sure coach, I’ll take a look.’ I got back to him in a day or two and said, ‘Hey coach, he’s a first-round pick.”

Little did Colbert know, Watt would be the Steelers’ first-round pick.

“We watched him at the (NFL Scouting) combine, it was good,” added Colbert, who said the Steelers received. “We talked to him at the combine. We went up to his pro day and had dinner with him the night before. We felt really comfortable with him that he was a solid player that is really only starting to scratch the surface as a defensive player.”

Watt (6-3, 252) doesn’t have the size of his older brother, but he quickly took to the playing defense, playing 27 games the past two seasons, making 14 starts. In that time, he had 70 tackles, 17 for a loss, and 11.5 sacks. All 11.5 sacks came last season.

“The funny thing is that his hand usage is advanced,” Colbert said. “It’s outstanding for a first-year player. He puts together moves that most veteran guys take a while to develop. He can not only run the edge, he puts moves together. He can handfight and win, not only in pass rush, but in the run game as well.”

J.J. Watt isn’t his only brother currently playing in the NFL. Another older brother, Derek, is a fullback for the San Diego Chargers.

But the youngest of the three Watt brothers doesn’t make a big deal of his lineage.

“This is about him,” Colbert said. “I don’t think he mentioned any of his brothers, unless we asked him about them. He’s himself. He’s his own man and he’s going to try to make his own mark. I wouldn’t be shocked if he tries to outdo everything his family has done to this point. He seems to be that kind of guy. He just lets his play speak for itself.”

The Steelers had a need at outside linebacker after 2013 first-round draft pick Jarvis Jones did not work out. Jones left in free agency, signing with the Arizona Cardinals after losing his starting job last season to James Harrison, who turns 39 next week.

Watt is the fourth linebacker the Steelers have selected in the first round in the past five years. In addition to Jones in 2013, they selected Ryan Shazier in 2014 and Bud Dupree in 2015. Last year, they took a cornerback, Artie Burns, in the first round.

“He’s got a lot of upside,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. “Yes, he’s inexperienced, but at the same time, we saw some things that were exciting, his hand usage, in particular, for a guy with his short resume at position, was exciting. His production speaks for itself. He’s just a quality guy and a quality pick for us.”

“There’s a burning intensity in the guy,” added Colbert.

Odds and end zones

The Steelers staff members wore green ribbons with the team logo on them for the draft to honor team chairman Dan Rooney, who had been a big part of the draft process over the years. … The Steelers will host their annual Fan Blitz at Heinz Field Saturday from noon-6 p.m. Current and former Steelers will be available to sign autographs during the event, as well as wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino, who will announce Pittsburgh’s fifth-round pick that day. From NBC’s hit show This Is Us, Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia will be available for a Q&A session with fans on the FedEx Great Hall stage immediately following the fourth round. A fee will be charged for the event. For information, please visit www.steelersnationunite.com. … The draft will continue today with the second and third rounds. The Steelers have one second round selection and two in the third round.