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In a virtual meeting with local Pittsburgh media, Steelers’ Head Coach Mike Tomlin and General Manager Kevin Colbert took questions about the upcoming 2020 NFL draft. Since fans did not have access to the meeting, below is a compilation of tweets by various Pittsburgh media members as they participated. These reports occurred as the meeting was happening, so expect more analysis to come later.
Gang’s all here pic.twitter.com/4hmIY0xN7Z
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 20, 2020
"The prep has been great...we had three solid weeks of meetings with our coaches and our scouts..I think moving forward we're going to learn from this." - #Steelers GM Kevin Colbert
— Missi Matthews (@missi_matthews) April 20, 2020
Kevin Colbert on NFL draft prep this year: "we're not sitting in a room, but we can all see the board"
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 20, 2020
Colbert said he and Coach Tomlin have done about 125 player interviews between the Senior Bowl, Combine, and virtual meetings (37 on FaceTime). #SteelersDraft
— Missi Matthews (@missi_matthews) April 20, 2020
Kevin Colbert says he and Mike Tomlin only made it to Clemson's pro day, but a couple scouts to a few others before things shut down.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 20, 2020
Coach Tomlin: "We're not worried about how or why this is different. It's the same for all of the people we competing against." #SteelersDraft
— Missi Matthews (@missi_matthews) April 20, 2020
Colbert says they have 74 players without a 40-time, 76 with incomplete physicals.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 20, 2020
They've interviewed 125 players between Senior Bowl, Combine or FaceTime calls. Says they've done 37 video calls.
Mike Tomlin says after the Pro Days got shutdown, they started their meetings. Felt they weren't rushed through developmental process and could adjust with their meetings.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 20, 2020
Matt Canada will get a chance to work hand-in-hand with all of our quarterbacks. And not even that, he'll bring some fresh ideas, too. - Coach Tomlin
— Missi Matthews (@missi_matthews) April 20, 2020
GM Kevin Colbert said he's looking forward to having Ben Roethlisberger back. Asked about drafting a QB, and he said "we'll be prepared for any position." But also added feels good about No. 7 coming back.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 20, 2020
'We are excited about bringing Matt Canada and Ike Hilliard into the fold.' - Mike Tomlin
— Teresa Varley (@Teresa_Varley) April 20, 2020
Tomlin added he is excited about the new things Canada will bring into the fold.#SteelersDraft
Kevin Colbert said the #Steelers are participating in an NFL walk-through draft at 1pm today. #SteelersDraft
— Missi Matthews (@missi_matthews) April 20, 2020
Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert laugh when they're asked how the draft is going work logistically - who's going to be on the phone, on the zoom calls, etc.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 20, 2020
Colbert says he'll have a better idea in about 3 hours after NFL's mock draft this afternoon.
Colbert said he, Mike Tomlin, Art Rooney II, and Omar Khan have the #Steelers draft room set up in their homes so they will all be able to see each and hear each other as if they were in the war room together. #SteelersDraft
— Missi Matthews (@missi_matthews) April 20, 2020
Tomlin: "I'm not fretting at all about not having a first (round) pick. That first pick is Minkah Fitzpatrick and we've already benefitted from his presence."
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 20, 2020
Tomlin on watching Thursday night without a first-round pick: "It's going to be a spectator's view. It's a good opportunity for us to get comfortable with the organization of all of this."
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 20, 2020
The #Steelers off-season program was scheduled to start today. Coach Tomlin said the team's "virtual program" will start on April 27th.
— Missi Matthews (@missi_matthews) April 20, 2020
Sounds like Tomlin is crushing a lot of tape in quarantine. Says it's given him a lot of opportunities to take "a deeper dive" with the tape, watch an extra game etc.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 20, 2020
Kevin Colbert says he's not going to time anybody off of the video pro days some agents have sent in. Says he's assigned scouts to watch them, and they note how fast the guys look (faster, slower than recorded time on the video)
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 20, 2020
Colbert added he believes each team will be asked to pull off a fake trade during the walk-through with the NFL today to work out issues for the weekend.
— Missi Matthews (@missi_matthews) April 20, 2020
Mike Tomlin on adding an RB in the draft: "If we get an opportunity that can add a back to our current pool, then we'll be excited about that. We have every intention of running the ball better in 2020 than we did in 2019, whether we add a back or not."
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 20, 2020
Kevin Colbert reiterates that James Conner's injuries last season were acute, and he expects him to start this season fully healthy.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 20, 2020
"I'm not going in thinking we don't have a starter capable runner because James Conner is."
#Steelers HC Mike Tomlin in midseason form when it comes to revelatory insight: "We can utilize good players on both sides of the ball and on special teams... We're going to come out of this thing w/ the guys we need no doubt."
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) April 20, 2020
Mike Tomlin on no pro-days: – "I just watched more tape on the same number of players I usually watch. I've had an opportunity to come back and look at another game or two on a player we're discussing. It's providing an opprtunity to take a deeper dive."
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) April 20, 2020
Colbert says they haven't watched film with players during their video calls, says they just want to get to know them. That's probably a good call, because every prospect I talked to told me the film analysis has been the biggest challenge of the calls bc of lags in streaming etc
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 20, 2020
Doesn't sound like there's anyone who would compel #Steelers to trade into first round. Mike Tomlin says his plans for Thursday night are to take "a spectator's view." Then reiterates he's sufficiently happy to consider Minkah Fitzpatrick (who cost that pick) his first rounder.
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) April 20, 2020
#Steelers sure seem like they could use some offensive playmakers. But GM Kevin Colbert reminds us not to undervalue return of their biggest playmaker: "We’re going to have a Ben Roethlisberger available. When you have that caliber a player available, everybody’s play picks up."
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) April 20, 2020
Kevin Colbert said the best draft in NFL history, the Steelers 1974 draft, took place before all the modern conveniences that have been at the scouts fingertips for years and this is a throwback to those days and he is up for the challenge.
— Teresa Varley (@Teresa_Varley) April 20, 2020
Asked if offense is a high priority in draft, Mike Tomlin said: "We have some position needs but, as we always do, we'll let the development do our work for us. There are a lot of good players on both sides of the ball. We're going to come out of this with guys we need."
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) April 20, 2020
Colbert on the WR depth in draft: "We do feel good about that group. It’s a deep group. There are some dynamic players; some slot types, some big outside guys. We probably feel as good about that position as we do any other."
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) April 20, 2020
Coach Tomlin said he is more worried about getting the new players the team drafts and signs this weekend acclimated to life in the NFL and with the #Steelers, but will handle selecting them first. #SteelersDraft
— Missi Matthews (@missi_matthews) April 20, 2020
Colbert also said they got all the 40 times they needed for all the WRs that interest them.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) April 20, 2020
That's all from Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 20, 2020
Instant analysis: the zoom mute button won that presser.