Steelers sign Holba and Conner; half of 2017 NFL Draft class under contract

The Pittsburgh Steelers are making major headway in regards to signing their 2017 NFL Draft picks. Thursday, the team signed sixth round pick Colin Holba, long snapper, to a four-year contract, and did the same with third round pick James Conner.

The pair of draft picks who are now officially under contract equate to half of the team’s eight draft picks now being signed.

Earlier today, the team signed 7th round pick Keion Adams to a four-year contract, and had signed 5th round pick Brian Allen on the 8th of May.

Take a look at the rundown of picks, and who has yet to sign their official NFL contracts:

Round:

1. OLB - T.J. Watt - Unsigned

2. WR - Juju Smith-Schuster - Unsigned

3. CB - Cameron Sutton - Unsigned

3. RB - James Conner - Signed to 4-year contract

4. QB - Joshua Dobbs - Unsigned

5. CB - Brian Allen - Signed to 4 year contract

6. LS - Colin Holba - Signed to 4-year contract

7. OLB - Keion Adams - Signed to 4-year contract

There is far less celebration about a team signing a rookie since the new Collective Bargaining Agreement went into effect around the league. Now, depending on which round the team drafted a player, the contract is slotted for a specific price.

The only thing which could hold back a player from signing a deal could be incentives or a signing bonus. This is largely why the Steelers have signed their picks from the back end of the draft to the front, where there is less negotiating about specific stipulations.

Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news on the Steelers draft picks, their contract status and the upcoming rookie minicamp this weekend.