By G.Stryker
SteelerNation.com
There are drafts when the Pittsburgh Steelers move, make trades, and acquire players. There are also times when they just barely miss out on players due to the moves of other teams. As we revisit different Steelers drafts, we will take a look inside into what made those moments both special and memorable.
It was no surprise that the Steelers greatest need in 2003 was safety. The Steelers were set to grab the previous year’s Super Bowl’s MVP, strong safety Dexter Jackson to shore up their defense. After Jackson chose to sign with the Arizona Cardinals, the Steelers turned their attention toward the draft, and they had their sights set on an elite athletic player from USC, Troy Polamalu. A lot of mock drafts had the Steelers staying put at #27 and selecting Polamalu, since safety wasn’t a high position of need for the rest of the league.
The San Diego Chargers were considering a safety and were drafting at 15 since Rodney Harrison left for New England and thought they could possibly trade back, bank some picks, and perhaps end up with Polamalu. The only problem with that plan is the actual draft is much harder to predict picks falling where they are expected to be. The Steelers did their homework with Polamalu and had him as a top 10 pick on their big board. As soon as the Chargers moved back, they made a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs to move up 11 spaces and draft Polamalu. In return, KC received Pittsburgh’s 1st, 3rd, and 6th picks.
Kansas City did fine with the draft value, acquiring running back Larry Johnson from Penn State. He would go on to earn two Pro Bowl selections, two All Pro teams, and led the league in rushing in 2005. Their 3rd round pick was cornerback Julian Battle who only lasted for three seasons and mostly served on special teams. The 6th round pick was traded to the New York Jets who used it to draft quarterback Brooks Bollinger. Brooks played six seasons as a backup before leaving for the UFL where he became the league MVP in 2009 with the Florida Tuskers.
The Chiefs and Jets still gained some good players with the trade, but it pales in comparison to the Steelers moving up to grab an NFL Defensive player of the year who was named to eight Pro Bowls and six All Pro teams. Troy was a defensive captain of three Super Bowl teams, and capped his career as a first ballot Hall of Famer.
Do you think the Steelers needed to move up to draft Troy Polamalu? Leave your thoughts below.
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