(Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Kevin Colbert has been in the Steelers front office since 2000. He was officially named the team's general manager in 2010, but he had the same role when he was hired in 2000 -- just under a different title as director of football operations.
Later this month, Colbert will construct his 22nd draft with the team and for the most part, he has selected great players and put together solid draft classes, but there have been some duds when it comes to draft classes.
Usually, if you can get three long-term starters in a draft, that's considered a successful draft. You really want to hit on the early picks, as it can be a crapshoot with the late-round selections. Since 2000, Colbert has had only two first-round picks who were flat-out busts and they were Jarvis Jones in 2013 and Artie Burns in 2016.
When looking at the 21 drafts that Colbert has been a part of with the Steelers, he has really been consistent in getting at least two long-term starters from a single draft class. When it comes to his worst draft classes, I'd have to say it would be 2008, 2015 and 2016. The worst, in my opinion, would be the 2008 draft class, as Rashard Mendenhall was the only contributor and lasted with the team for just five years. Wide receiver Limas Sweed in the second round was also a big bust.
Other than Bud Dupree in the 2015 draft class, it was pretty much a wash. The second-round pick of Senquez Golson not panning out really hurt. Golson never played a down with the Steelers or in the NFL due to multiple injuries. As mentioned, Colbert missed big time with the Burns selection in the first round in 2016. For the rest of the class, Sean Davis never really lived up to expectations as a second-round pick and Javon Hargrave was solid, but he ended up signing a lucrative contract with the Eagles last year in free agency. So, five years later, no one from the Steelers' 2016 draft class is still with the team.
Below are the Steelers' draft classes from 2008, 2015 and 2016.
Comments