Don’t expect Ben Roethlisberger’s impending suspension to change Pittsburgh’s draft board.
Speaking with Mark Madden on WXDX in Pittsburgh Monday afternoon, Steelers G.M. Kevin Colbert said that quarterback and tight end were the only positions that weren’t priorities for the team.
He said that was true at the beginning of the offseason, and nothing has changed. (Roethlisberger’s name was oddly not even mentioned in the interview.)
A lot of folks think the Steelers will take Florida center Maurkice Pouncey, but Colbert said don’t be surprised if they moved from the No. 18 overall pick. He estimated there was a 70-75% chance they’d keep the pick, a 5% chance they’d move up, and a greater chance they would move back.
Colbert expects a lot of interest in the pick, especially with such a deep defensive class. He says there are more 300-pound defenders that can run and conversion outside linebacker prospects than any class in memory.
Those are just the prospects a 3-4 defense needs. Unfortunately for long-time 3-4 teams like Pittsburgh and New England, nearly half of the league is now looking for similar players.