The amount of information that was learned during Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert on Monday was scant to none, which is typical for those kind of pre-draft events.
Specific players are not discussed and positions are talked about in general terms.
So while we don't learn a whole lot during these media events we do get some bread crumbs and of course can come up with our own theories on what they might do come draft night.
One thing Colbert mentioned during his opening remarks was how they are unlikely to trade up from their current position of #24.
Colbert believes they have a good reason to not draft up…plenty of depth.
"There is good depth we believe on the offensive line, the wide receivers, the running backs, the linebackers both inside and outside and the corners," said Colbert. "There is okay depth at the tight end, the quarterback, and the safety positions, and I can be very up front and honest, there's very limited depth in this year's draft on the defensive line. It's probably as lean as it's been in recent memory. Again, we always get asked about trade up, trade down. I'm very doubtful that we'll trade up. We really value those eight picks that we have, five of which are in the top 140."
So with all that depth they're looking at, could the Steelers make a trade with another team to move back a few spots and pick up a ninth pick?
"We're always going to value quality over quantity, but if we're not comfortable with what we're looking at the 24th pick, we'll trade back," said Colbert. "Do we want to do it with a division team? That wouldn't be our preference, but we won't discount that completely because we have to weigh what the potential trade-back will do for us and not worry about where those picks may go. It wouldn't be our preference, but it won't disqualify us from trading back with a division team."
Colbert adds that if they do trade back they want to make sure that they are in a no=lose situation.
"We've got to look at what we're walking away from. I never like to walk away from a pick without having -- say if we're trading back five spots, I want five players that we would be comfortable in taking so we can't lose," said Colbert. "That's the way we've always approached that. We never would trade up unless the player we want is available and we know on that pick that he is available. But trading back, I want to make sure that we can't lose if we do it."
Neither Tomlin or Colbert pay attention to outside mock drafts and added when they have done their own mocks in the past it ended up being a waste of time. But plenty of national experts have the Steelers taking Alabama running back Najee Harris at #24.
If he's off the board, will the Steelers be more inclined to then trade back? We'll find out Thursday night.
