With the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine over, the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to the pro days of many college teams to scout their future. On March 24th, the Steelers attended the pro day of the Penn State Nittany Lions. Many people from the Steelers organization were there, including Andy Weidl, Teryl Austin, and Grady Brown. Those three are obviously looking at a potential first-round talent, with Joey Porter Jr. headlining the draft class for Penn State.
Scott Pioli
Omar Khan speaks to participants at the HBCU Combine
Why won't the Steelers draft Joey Porter Jr?
When it comes to the first round, there is a rule of thumb that is very clear: The only players that the Steelers will select in the first round are players that have been seen by Mike Tomlin and the general manager (Omar Khan in this case) at their pro days. The last time the Steelers selected a player in the first round that Tomlin and then General Manager Kevin Colbert didn't see in person at their pro day was Ziggy Hood all the way back in 2009. With Porter does come a little bit of an exception. Tomlin was forced to miss the pro day because he had to attend an NFL Competition Committee meeting. The other exception being that he has known Porter Jr. since he was a little boy. So, the familiarity is there.
In previous years, Tomlin and Colbert would attend pro days together to scout potential first round picks. Every single year, they would select guys that they've seen with their own eyes. The Steelers are known for sticking with tradition, so it's safe to say that Khan being promoted to general manager will not change that line of thinking. On the off chance that Porter falls to pick 32, or if Penn State has a second pro day that Tomlin and Khan attend, maybe that would change.
ESPN
Pitt QB Kenny Pickett watches with his family as he gets drafted by the Steelers.
In the 2022 NFL Draft, Tomlin and Colbert attended nine different pro days. Five of them were quarterbacks, with the other four being highly touted prospects that the Steelers hoped could possibly fall to them. When neither of them fell, they drafted Kenny Pickett. In 2021, with many needs on offense, Tomlin and Colbert chose to focus more on running back during pro days. It was obvious from the start that they wanted Najee Harris, and that's who they drafted. That strategy has gone on long before the turn of the decade as well.
Former Steelers' general manager, Kevin Colbert (left) and head coach, Mike Tomlin (right) watch a practice in Pittsburgh, PA. | Photo Credit: Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
It became obvious that Cameron Sutton was leaving via free agency when the Steelers formally interviewed nothing but cornerbacks during the combine. Even with Porter not being drafted by the Steelers, it still appears that the Steelers do want to draft a cornerback in round one. There are many cornerbacks that could easily fall to pick 17, so they still have other options if the absence of Tomlin and Khan prove what it has proved before.
What do you think of Porter not being drafted with the Steelers, as well as the Steelers' obvious draft process? Will it ever change? Could it possibly change with the new general manager? Let us know down in the comments.
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