Kevin Colbert continues to be ranked as a Top-5 NFL General Manager

There are lots of people who aren’t crazy about Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert. They constantly cite busted draft picks like Jarvis Jones, Dri Archer and some even reference Bud Dupree as failed opportunities for the organization to truly improve their roster.

Fans can’t expect every pick to be a home run but, for every poor, early-round pick, there seems to be an undrafted free agent or late-round pick who’s become a regular on the team.

When all is said and done, Colbert is still one of the better general managers, and he cracked the Top-5 in the latest Sporting News rankings.

Check out the Top-10 and what they had to say about Colbert who came in at No. 4:

1. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles)
2. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots)
3. Rick Spielman (Minnesota Vikings)
4. Kevin Colbert (Pittsburgh Steelers)

“Key additions since 2015: WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, DT Javon Hargrave, OLB Bud Dupree, OLB T.J. Watt, CB Joe Haden, CB Artie Burns, S Sean Davis, S Morgan Burnett, CB Mike Hilton, P Jordan Berry, K Chris Boswell

Mostly through the draft (per usual), Colbert has kept the Steelers alongside the Patriots as top AFC contenders. He has been relentless with the defensive rebuild and also has made the right deals to keep the offensive powerhouse intact.”

5. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams)
6. David Caldwell (Jacksonville Jaguars)
7. Jon Robinson (Tennessee Titans)
8. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks)
9. Ozzie Newsome (Baltimore Ravens)
10. Thomas Dimitroff (Atlanta Falcons)

While the above rankings are certainly susceptible to criticism, as they seem to forget a general manager’s complete body of work is far more than just one year, it should be a foregone conclusion across the NFL, as well as among the Pittsburgh Steelers’ fan base, that Colbert finds himself in the Top 5.

The Steelers build their roster through the draft, not focusing solely on free agency. It’s been the successes of Colbert, alongside Mike Tomlin, which have kept players like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Le’Veon Bell and Stephon Tuitt coming through the system for years.

What do you think about Colbert’s ranking? Think he’s where he ought to be, or is he ranked too high? Let us know in the comment section below!