May 6, 2022 5 min read

Kevin Colbert’s first draft pick with the Steelers was Plaxico Burress. His final pick will go down as South Dakota State quarterback Chris Oladokun.

In between there was a lot of winning, two Super Bowl victories, some tremendous draft picks and a lot of class.

Nobody who has ever worked with Colbert has a bad word to say about the man. And for 22 years and spanning two head coaches, he did his job in relative anonymity.

That was the way he wanted it.

While other general managers around the league are quite visible, with their own radio shows and talking to the media as often as the head coach, Colbert, who is retiring as the Steelers’ GM, never wanted the spotlight.

It came from his days of growing up in Pittsburgh, the youngest of five brothers who were very involved in sports. And then through his work early in his career with his mentor, Charleroi native Ron Hughes, who had been Colbert’s football coach at North Catholic High School before becoming his boss with the Detroit Lions.

He fit right in with the Steelers, who were searching for a replacement for Tom Donahoe after a tumultuous 1999 season. It became apparent Donahoe and Bill Cowher could no longer coexist.

“It starts at the top. When you think about Mr. Dan Rooney and Art, and really the culture that’s inside that building, there’s no line of delineation,” Cowher said. “Everybody has their responsibilities. You work together, united. You have total transparency. And what happens is that you work through the things that arise along the way. Kevin was a perfect fit from that standpoint. He grew up in Western Pennsylvania. He was with the Detroit Lions. He had been at every level. I just respected him so much.

“He was a great person to have with you because he was a very good listener. I think when you get to that point, a lot of times people will tell you want you want to hear, not what you need to hear. Kevin was a very good listener and would say very objectively what he sees. Really, you trusted him, and it just made our relationship so much more solid.”

Colbert immediately meshed with Cowher. And he did the same with Mike Tomlin. They’re two very good, very competitive coaches. But they’re also two completely different personalities.

Colbert thrived working with both.

“I’ve had an opportunity to come alongside this gentleman for 15 of those years, and I just want to say it has been an absolute pleasure, not only in terms of results but the process itself,” Tomlin said following this year’s draft. “It’s a pleasure to come alongside him and evaluate talent and make critical decisions. There’s a lot of challenges in our business, but the spirit in which (he) attacks them is everything, and it’s just been a pleasure to work with him.”

That’s not easy to do. But Colbert navigated the process like it was nothing. There were never any conflicts, largely because he worked without an ego.

Even when the other people in the Steelers’ draft room tried to acknowledge the pick of Oladukon as the final pick of the Colbert era, he wouldn’t have any of it.

“It’s not in his DNA,” Tomlin said. “We tried to take him there, and he led us maybe to the doorstep.”

That was before Colbert broke down when asked about his 22 years with the Steelers and if he was leaving the franchise in a good place. It was a moment where things finally did hit Colbert.

“I don’t want to say better than. I’m proud that we’ve added to that room. It was four trophies – there was four when we got here – and you knew the task,” Colbert said, breaking into tears. “You think about (Dan Rooney) and being able to add to that room means a ton. But it doesn’t mean it’s over. … But it means a lot.”

That it does. It was a great run.

n The Steelers went strong again adding to their offense in the draft. A year after taking offensive players with its first four picks, Pittsburgh added offensive players with five of its seven picks in this draft.

Of course, everyone will judge the draft on what happens with quarterback Kenny Pickett, the top pick. But the two players who could make or break this draft are wide receivers George Pickens, a second-round pick, and Calvin Austin, a fourth-round selection.

If those two hit, the Steelers could be in really good shape this season.

n The Steelers have spent first-round picks on a running back (Najee Harris) and quarterback the past two drafts. It also has used second-round picks on a tight end (Pat Freiermuth) and a wide receiver.

The Steelers also spent money on quarterback and the offensive line in free agency this year with the additions of Mitchell Trubisky, James Daniels and Mason Cole.

There won’t be any excuses for offensive coordinator Matt Canada if the offense isn’t better.

n Many have questioned why the Steelers will use a draft pick on Oladukon in the seventh round after taking Pickett in the first round.

Quite simply, Oladokun replaces Dwayne Haskins on the roster.

The Steelers always take four quarterbacks to training camp. And after signing Trubisky and drafting Pickett, they weren’t going to attract an undrafted rookie at the position who was worth anything.

The last thing the coaching staff wants to do is teach an undrafted quarterback how to get a team in and out of a huddle or watch him not be able to run the offense while also trying to figure out who the starter is going to be.

Oladokun played at three different colleges and picked up things quickly.

That’s why the Steelers used a draft pick on him.