Apr 25, 2020 5 min read

Over the years, the Steelers have made a habit of drafting young players with plenty of upside, banking on what those players might become down the road, over 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.

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.’ general manager Kevin Colbert said Saturday night of the second of the Steelers’ 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 draft result 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 they had been keeping an eye for a 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 for a couple of years.”

OK, maybe there was a little inside information. Two of the Steelers’ picks in this draft are from Maryland. New quarterbacks coach Matt Canada is a former offensive coordinator and interim head coach there when both running back Anthony McFarland Jr., the first of Pittsburgh’s two fourth-round picks, and sixth-round pick, 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, is a former Steelers wide receiver 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, as well. 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 who are a little older than what they’re used to bringing in.

• There was a lot of teeth gnashing over the weekend among Steelers fans over the players added by the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens.

Steelers fans need to keep telling themselves that no matter who or what position those teams added, they weren’t getting a player who is better than safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, the player for whom the team traded its first-round pick this year.

Fitzpatrick would have easily been the best safety in this draft. No player at that position was selected until the second round.

And there wasn’t a pure linebacker in this year’s draft who was a better prospect than last year’s first-round pick, Devin Bush, for whom the Steelers traded this year’s third-round pick as part of the package to acquire.

This year’s draft was deep at wide receiver and the Steelers got a good prospect there in Notre Dame’s Chase Claypool in the second round.

• The most troubling thing I saw – or didn’t see – over the whole weekend was that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who spent the weekend announcing picks from his home, didn’t have any Washington & Jefferson College swag in the background.

Goodell might be W&J’s highest-profile graduate. Maybe I missed it, but I just didn’t see anything there.

Dale Lolley covers the Steelers for DKPittsburghSports.com and writes a Sunday column for the Observer-Reporter.