Never let it be said that Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert weren’t prepared for the unexpected.
Today’s only draft visit for the @Steelers is Louisville safety Calvin Pryor.
— Bob Labriola (@BobLabriola) April 7, 2014
After all its less than a year after the team did something it had not done since before its first Super Bowl – trade a draft pick from next year’s draft to get one this year – to get safety Shamarko Thomas. Its less than a month after the Steelers made a rare day 1 free agency signing in the form of Michael Mitchell. Which came on the heels of a decision to extend Troy Polamalu’s contract by two years.
- So why, pray tell, would the Steelers entertain a safety prior to the 2014 NFL Draft?
If cornerback and wide receiver are well known as the Steelers top early round priorities, safety is decidedly at the other end of the pecking order. Yet, as Dale Lolley explains, this is a wise move on the part of the Black and Gold Brain Trust.
The Steelers are picking 15th. It is little secret that the Steelers covet Michigan and Tennessee cornerbacks Justin Gilbert and Darqueze Dennard and Texas A&M’s Mike Evans. However, what if those players are gone?
- Well, the first reaction will be to try to trade? But what if they can’t? Prior is projected as a mid-round pick.
The Steelers clearly would like to invest such a high draft choice elsewhere, but success in the NFL Draft isn’t about selecting the players you know you want, it’s about knowing who to pick when your top choices are unavailable.
