Kevin Colbert outlines the Steelers’ “wide open” plans for the 2021 NFL Draft

The 2021 NFL Draft is just days away, and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ global fan base is wondering what the team has up their sleeves for the first round. Picking 24th overall is always conducive to drafting a big name player, but the team is likely to have a number of options available when it is their turn to pick.

At Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin’s annual NFL Draft press conference, which was in person, the two figure heads of the Steelers organization talked about everything under the sun as it pertains to the upcoming draft.

Unprompted, Kevin Colbert talked about how thanks to the Steelers being able to retain many of their own free agents, the teams is “wide open” heading into the draft Thursday. In other words, they are not locking in at any one position, rather they can sit back and watch to see how the draft unfolds before making their pick.

This would fall right into the Best Player Available (BPA) approach to the draft which many tout while others bemoan. Nonetheless, for the fans out there who want to the team to trade up, Colbert said that is “very doubtful”, citing the team wanting to keep as many of their top draft picks as possible, seeing the value in those picks.

As Colbert continued to break down the upcoming draft, both the good and the bad, he tiered the prospects by position. He labeled the depth as good, bad and not-so-good. Here are the positional breakdowns, per Colbert himself:

Good Depth: Offensive Line, Running Back, Wide Receiver, Inside Linebacker, Outside Linebacker, Cornerback

Okay Depth: Tight End, Safety, Quarterback

Not-so-good Depth: Defensive Line

When it comes to Colbert’s comments on specific positions, he was asked about several. The two which stood out the most might be the two positions the fan base has been concerning themselves with since the Steelers’ 2020 season ended.

Colbert talked about how the organization is not against drafting a running back in the first round, well aware of the narrative of doing such a thing, and he talked about how you can never underestimate the value of a quality player, regardless of position.

The other position which was isolated was the center position. Colbert said the group as a whole is unusually deep, and there are several starter-capable players, which, again, is unusual for centers entering the professional ranks.

At the end of the day you can take all that was said by both Tomlin and Colbert with a giant grain of salt. They, like all of you reading this article, have no clue what is going to go down Thursday, Friday and Saturday during the 7 round selection process. But with the Steelers approaching being “wide open” you can expect nothing less than the unexpected.

Should make for great television.

Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black and gold as they prepare for the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.