:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/12284989/gyi0062914165.0.jpg)
The Steelers took Syracuse safety Shamarko Thomas in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. After a trade with Cleveland, the Steelers nabbed a good player at a position of need.
There was a notion the team wanted to bring in a young safety in this draft. It wasn't said exactly when that would come, but when four of them went off the board in the first 33 picks of the draft, it appeared that desire wouldn't be fulfilled until the third day of the draft.
Thomas is the pick in the fourth round. Never too late to add talent.
He's a productive player, but he's a short player. Standing at 5-foot-8, Thomas is muscular and completely willing to hit. Without that ideal size, though, his value drops. He's not a playmaker, but he's outstanding in run support, and could contribute as a deep safety.
He ran a 4.4 40-yard dash at the Combine, which is impressive. He's a solid option for the fourth round, even if he's now the shortest player on the team and one of the shortest at his position around the NFL.