PDA

View Full Version : NFL Draft: The key for Steelers? Picking, hoping



LLT
04-24-2012, 04:43 AM
NFL Draft: The key for Steelers? Picking, hoping
April 24, 2012 12:57 am
Andrew Rush/Post-Gazette


Like a lot of teams in the bottom third of the NFL draft, the Steelers are not always sure which players will be available. And, with the 24th overall pick, they know most, if not all, of the so-called elite prospects already have been selected.

When the draft begins Thursday, that won't change for the Steelers.

If anything, identifying the top player for them might be even more precarious.

"The sure-fire, easy guys to evaluate and pick, there are not as many as there have been in the past," said general manager Kevin Colbert. "Once you get beyond the first seven to 10 guys, everybody is going to be picking and hoping. We are one of those teams."

Picking and hoping is not foreign territory for the Steelers, who are accustomed to drafting each year from near the bottom of each round. Succeeding is something to which they are accustomed, too, considering the quality of No. 1 picks they have made despite picking in the bottom half of the draft in eight of the past 11 years.

And that, Colbert said, is important for a team that relies on the draft, not free agency, to re-stock its talent and remain competitive.

Read More: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/the-key-for-steelers-picking-hoping-632838/