![Evaluating Kevin Colbert’s Draft Picks: 2024 Edition Evaluating Kevin Colbert’s Draft Picks: 2024 Edition](https://i3.wp.com/steelersdepot.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Kevin-Colbert-press-conference.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1)
In an annual exercise since former Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert resigned from his position in May 2022, we ranked the 183 Draft picks he made during his long tenure with the team. While there are no new players to add to this year’s roster, the pool still rises and falls based on the performance of active players.
A reminder. This list is based on results only. The rankings will not consist of or consider “why” a player thrived or failed with the team, and is only based on his career with the Steelers. This is a list about the Steelers’ top picks and the impact they had in Pittsburgh, not anywhere else. This is also a relativity list. Which means that a seventh-round pick that failed doesn’t have as much impact as a first-round pick that failed.
If you want to revisit the explanations for each player on this list, you can search the archives. I provide player-by-player summaries of all 183 draft picks. Today we will update and revise the list with changes for the 2024 version.
#183. Senquez Golson – Rd. 2
#182. Alonzo Jackson – Rd. 2
#181. Fred Gibson – Street. 4
#180. Danny Farmer – Rd. 4
#179. Kraig Urbik – Rd. 3
#178. Bruce Davis – Street. 3
#177. Artie Burns – Rd. 1
#176. Orien Harris – Rd. 4
#175. Alameda Ta’amu – Rd. 4 (change up)
#174. Dri Archer – Rd. 3
#173. Limes Sweed – Rd. 2
#172. Thaddeus Gibson – Rd. 4
#171. Nathaniel Adibi – Rd. 5
#170. Willie Reid – Street. 3
#169. Kendrick Verde – Rd. 3
#168. Ricardo Colclough – Rd. 2
#167. Doran Grant – Rd. 4
#166. Tony Hills – Rd. 4
#165. Ryan McBean – Street. 4
#164. Mathías Nkwenti – Rd. 4
#163. Buddy Johnson – Street. 4
#162. Jarvis Jones – Rd. 1
#161. Terry Hawthorne – Street. 5
#160. Cameron Stephenson – Rd. 5
#159. Shaq Richardson – Street. 5
#158. Charles Davis – Rd. 5
#157. Omar Jacobs – Rd. 5
#156. Wesley Johnson – Street. 5
#155. Mike Adams – Street. 2
#154. Joe Burnett – Rd. 4
#153. Sammie Coates – Rd. 3
#152. Devin Bush – Rd. 1 (change up)
#151. Colin Holba – Rd. 6
#150. Sutton Smith – Rd. 6
#149. Bo Lacy – Rd. 6
#148. Roger Caballero – Rd. 6
#147. Mike Humpal – Street. 6
#146. Jordán Zumwalt – Rd. 6
#145. Keith Williams – Rd. 6
#144. Drew Caylor – Rd. 6
#143. Marvin Philip – Rd. 6
#142. Jason Gavadza – Rd. 6
#141. Ra’Shon Harris – Rd. 6
#140. Quincy Roche – Street. 6
#139. Travis Feeney – Rd. 6
#138. Kenny Pickett – Rd. 1
#137. Chris Scott – Street. 5
#136. Brian St. Pierre – Rd. 5
#135. Shamarko Thomas – Rd. 4 (change up)
#134. Chris Rainey – Rd. 5
#133. Antonio Smith – Rd. 3
#132. Frank Summers – Rd. 5
#131. Jerald Hawkins – Street. 4
#130. Gerod Holliman – Rd. 7
#129. Chris Oladokun – Rd. 7
#128. Eric Taylor – Street. 7
#127. Wash Glover – Rd. 7
#126. Chris Taylor – Street. 7
#125. Nick Williams – Rd. 7
#124. AQ Shipley – Rd. 7
#123. Shaun Nua – Rd. 7
#122. Rob Blanchflower – Rd. 7
#121. Toney Clemons – Rd. 7
#120. Cedric Humes – Rd. 7
#119. Doug Worthington – Rd. 7
#118. JT Wall – Rd. 7
#117. Josh Frazier – Street. 7
#116. Terence Frederick – Rd. 7
#115. Keion Adams – Rd. 7
#114. Derwin Gray – Rd. 7
#113. Butler of Crezdon – Rd. 5
#112. Anthony McFarland Jr. – Rd. 4
#111. Noah Herron – Rd. 7
#110. Tee Martín – Rd. 5
#109. Brian Allen – Rd. 5
#108. Chris Combs – Rd. 6
#107. Dallas Baker – Rd. 7
#106. From Marvin Leal – Rd. 3
#105. Antoine Brooks Jr. – Rd. 5
#104. Matt Kranchick – Rd. 6
#103. Curtis Brown – Rd. 3
#102. Chris Carter – Street. 5
#101. Rian Wallace – Rd. 5
#100. Justin Brown – Rd. 6
#99. Kendrick Clancy – Rd. 3
#98. Demarcus Ayers – Rd. 7
#97. Baron Lot – Rd. 7
#96. Carlos Davis – Rd. 7
#95. Isaiah Buggs – Rd.6
#94. Josh Dobbs – Rd. 4
#93. David Paulson – Rd. 7
#92. Pressley Harvin III – Rd. 7
#91. Calvin Austin III – Rd. 4
#90. Sean Spence – Rd. 3
#89. LT Walton – Rd. 6
#88. Dennis Dixon – Street. 5
#87. Mark Robinson – Street. 7
#86. Hank Poteat – Rd. 3
#85. Daniel McCullers – Street. 6
#84. Justin Layne – Rd. 3
#83. Ulysses Gilbert III – Rd. 6
#82. Chukky Okobi – Rd. 5
#81. Stevenson Sylvester – Rd. 5
#80. Isaiah Loudermilk – Rd. 5 (change up)
#79. Tre Norwood – Rd. 7
#78. Lee Mays – Rd. 6
#77. Marcus Allen – Street. 5
#76. Ryan Mundy – Rd. 6
#75. Zach Gentry – Rd. 5
#74. Connor Heyward – Rd. 6
#73. Rodney Bailey – Rd. 6
#72. James Washington – Street. 2
#71. Ziggy Hood – Rd. 1
#70. Kevin Dotson – Street. 3
#69. Jonathan Dwyer – Street. 6
#68. Jaylen Samuels – Rd. 5
#67. Landry Jones – Rd. 4
#66. Benny Snell Jr. – Rd. 4
#Sixty-five. Mason Rudolph – Rd. 3 (change up)
#64. Verron Haynes – Rd. 5
#63. Daniel Sepulevda – Rd. 4 (change up)
#62. David Johnson – Rd. 7
#61. Chase Claypool – Rd. 2
#60. Trai Essex – Rd. 3
#59. Antonio Chickillo – Rd. 6
#58. Sean Davis – Rd. 2
#57. Cortez Allen – Rd. 4
#56. Markus Wheaton – Rd. 3
#55. Dan Moore Jr. – Rd. 4
#54. Keenan Lewis – Street. 3
#53. Jesse James – Rd. 5
#52. Jason Worlds – Rd. 2
#51. Tyler Matakevich – Rd. 7
#fifty. Emmanuel Sanders – Rd. 3
#49. Rashard Mendenhall – Street. 1
#48. Chris Kemoeatu – Rd. 6
#47. Matt Spaeth – Rd. 3
#46. Terrell Edmunds – Rd. 1
#Four. Five. Chukwuma Okorafor – Rd. 3
#44. Kendrell Bell – Rd. 2
#43. Martavis Bryant – Rd. 4
#42. Willie Colón – Rd. 4
#41. James Conner – Rd. 3
#40. George Pickens – Street. 2
#39. Chris Hope – Rd. 3
#38. Bryant McFadden – Street. 2
#37. Diontae Johnson – Rd. 3
#36. Najee Harris – Rd. 1
#35. Kelvin Beachum – Rd. 7
#3. 4. Pat Freiermuth – Street. 2
#33. Kendall Simmons – Street. 1
#32. Bud Dupree – Rd. 1
#31. Cameron Sutton – Street. 3
#30. Plaxico Burress – Rd. 1
#29. JuJu Smith-Schuster – Rd. 2
#28. Marco Gilbert – Rd. 2
#27. Clark Haggans – Rd. 5
#26. Vince Williams – Street. 6
#25. William Gay – Rd. 5
#24. Alex Highsmith – Rd. 3
#23. Ryan Shazier – Rd. 1
#22. Javon Hargrave – Rd. 3
#twenty-one. Mike Wallace – Street. 3
#twenty. Antwaan Randle El – Rd. 2
#19. Max Starks – Rd. 3
#18. Larry Foote – Rd. 4
#17. Stephon Tuitt – Street. 2
#sixteen. Marvel Smith – Rd. 2
#fifteen. Brett Keisel – Rd. 7
#14. LaMarr Woodley – Rd. 2
#13. Santonio Holmes – Rd. 1 (change up)
#12. Le’Veon Bell – Rd. 2
#eleven. Lawrence Timmons – Rd. 1
#10. Ike Taylor – Street. 4
#9. David De Castro – Rd. 1
#8. Casey Hampton – Rd. 1 (downward switch)
#7. Heath Miller – Rd. 1
#6. Maurkice Pouncey – Rd. 1
#5. Cam Heyward – Rd. 1
#4. Antonio Marrón – Rd. 6
#3. TJ Watt – Rd. 1
#2. Ben Roethlisberger – Street. 1
#1. Troya Polamalu – Rd. 1 (change up)
Analysis
Remember that the further we go with these annual checks, the less movement there will be. Over time, the group will be so established that there will no longer be any annual changes or, at most, very small changes. This year’s list largely reflects the 2023 version.
Updated rankings and year-over-year changes for Colbert’s final 2022 draft class and their current rankings. The jury is out on some, the book is closed on others.
#138. Kenny Pickett (minus 87 points)
#129. Chris Oladokun (no changes)
#106. DeMarvin Leal (Minus-22 points)
#91. Calvin Austin III (Plus-62 seats)
#87. Mark Robinson (plus four places)
#74. Connor Heyward (plus four places)
#40. George Pickens (plus six places)
A lot of change for the second year guys (unless you’re Oladokun). After a rough sophomore season, the Steelers cut Pickett after he requested a trade. It’s one of the shortest tenures for a first-round quarterback in franchise history. One could argue for days as to who’s fault he failed Pickett. Remember, in this list we are only focusing on the end result, not the why.
Leal is in bust territory after a poor sophomore season. Austin rises a lot largely just by getting on the field, and his long touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders helps. More minor improvements from Robinson, Heyward and Pickens. Pickens could take a big leap with a strong 2024 season.
The top 10 remains unchanged. TJ Watt remains the highest-rated active player on the list and remains at No. 3. Cam Heyward remains at No. 5.
Here are the biggest risers and falls on this year’s list.
Bigger bands
WR Calvin Austin III – No. 153 to No. 91 (up 62 spots)
QB Mason Rudolph – From 79 to 65 (14 places up)
WR George Pickens – No. 46 to No. 40 (Six spots up)
OT Dan Moore Jr. – From 61 to 55 (six places up)
DL Isaiah Loudermilk – No. 86 to No. 80 (Six spots up)
OLB Alex Highsmith – No. 29 to No. 24 (Five spots up)
Highsmith is the highest-rated player on this year’s list, moving up five spots after a solid, if unspectacular, 2023 season. Moore has been slowly rising through the ranks. While he’s not everyone’s favorite left tackle, his starting experience at a premium position is notable for a mid-round pick. His next start will be his 50th, although he will have to fight this summer to achieve that goal in Week 1. In the Colbert era, only 35 of his 183 picks, 19 percent, went on to start at least 50 games for the Steelers.
Rudolph made a late push with his solid play to lead Pittsburgh to the playoffs until late 2023. Still, his career was spent primarily as a backup and not the franchise quarterback the Steelers once thought and hoped to get. The fact that Loudermilk is active and plays slowly moves him up.
Biggest falls
Quarterback Kenny Pickett – From 51 to 138 (87 places down)
DL DeMarvin Leal – From 84 to 106 (22 places down)
Fr Pressley Harvin III – From 77 to 92 (15 places down)
C. Kendrick Green – From 162 to 169 (seven places down)
RB Anthony McFarland Jr. – From 107 to 112 (five places down)
S Tre Norwood – From 74 to 79 (five places down)
Pickett is obviously the one who falls the most with Leal in second place for the reasons explained above. Harvin goes down after another bad year that finally got him shown the door. Green was traded with cuts, ending the disaster of his career. McFarland and Norwood drop five places each. Injuries continued to hamper McFarland’s career, while Norwood was injured last summer and was released, ending his career with the Steelers.
We will return with a revised list in 2025.
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