Steelers' Mike Tomlin Might Take Too Much Blame For 1 Constant Mistake

The Pittsburgh Steelers know how important it is to build through the NFL Draft, as that has been their prime goal for decades. A few free agents get sprinkled in here and there, but at the end of the day, they want to win with homegrown talent. That is what they did mostly to win Super Bowl XL and XLIII with two different head coaches. They even traded up in the first round after they won in the 2005 season to continue down that mindset, and it worked. It has not been all sunshine and rainbows since then, however. 

Around the time that Mike Tomlin was hired to be the head coach of the Steelers, it seems like the team's drafting abilities have become significantly worse. Sometimes, correlation can lead to causation, and that is what many fans believe. In his weekly Q&A chat, insider Ray Fittipaldo had a slightly different way of seeing things.

"[Fans] believe Tomlin gained more power in the draft as the years went on. I think it's fair to say that he did. But I don't think Kevin Colbert or Art Rooney would have allowed Tomlin to just overtake the entire draft," explained Fittipaldo. "They have a system that's been in place now for a while. They come to a consensus among the group and they're on the same page when it comes time to draft. I know it's a popular narrative -- and there might be some pieces of truth to it -- but Colbert was the GM, not Tomlin. If he wanted to override a pick he thought was terrible, he would have done that."

Reports have come out that say Tomlin has a ton of pull within the organization to get what he wants. The only question with that is exactly how much he has. Fittipaldo believes he has a lot, but not enough to act as the team's czar. He still has to work with the scouts and other executives to make sure everyone is truly satisfied with their pick. 

When Tomlin was first hired, the Steelers were still successful in the first round, as they drafted key pieces like Lawrence Timmons, Cameron Heyward, and a big chunk of their interior offensive line. After 2012, however, things went off the rails entirely. Outside of 2014 and 2017, the Steelers looked completely lost with their decisions. 

Tomlin likely did get more comfortable in the war room as time went on, which led to him having more influence on who should be wearing black and gold. However, there was such a steep drop off from great picks to poor picks that it is hard to just pin that on him being unable to recognize talent. It could be an impact, but there is likely more to it.

Why Have Steelers Draft Picks Not Worked Out In Recent Years?

One theory about this does go back to Tomlin, but it's not about drafting. While he got more power in the war room, he also got more comfortable on the practice field. Instead of doing things the coordinators' way, he did things his own way, which started around 2013. Coincidentally, that's when the drafts started getting worse. 

Tomlin appears to be smart enough to know who could become great, as the team has drafted numerous players with low floors and high ceilings, such as Devin Bush in 2019. However, it's rare to see players reach those highs in Pittsburgh. Once again, correlation does not always equal causation, but it is still something to consider.

Everything could also be linked back to the team's stagnant, stubborn values as a whole. Times change and values across the league adapt, but the Steelers tend to go back to what worked for them decades ago. Once they realize that the past is in the past, they can truly thrive in the modern NFL. 

What do you think about the Steelers' draft history over the years? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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