Kevin Colbert ends final Steelers draft by doubling up at QB, WR among 4 selections

Kevin Colbert didn’t get emotional in the war room as he was preparing to make the final pick of his 23rd NFL Draft with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Coach Mike Tomlin tried his best Saturday to get his boss to crack, offering a reminder when the Steelers sent in the card for their second selection of the seventh round. Colbert wouldn’t cooperate.

“It’s not in his DNA,” Tomlin said. “I know he’s not going to break character.”

Tomlin couldn’t have been more wrong. A few moments after Tomlin made that statement at post-draft news conference, Colbert’s stoic exterior began showing cracks.

It began when Colbert was asked what he’ll do in the upcoming weeks after concluding his final major act as general manager, a job he is ceding to take a reduced role in the organization.

The emotions broke through like T.J. Watt overpowering an overwhelmed tackle when Colbert was asked about the condition in which he’s leaving the franchise.

Colbert stopped several times to compose himself while answering.

“I don’t want to say better than … I’m proud that we’ve added to that room,” Colbert said, motioning behind him toward the area where six Lombardi Trophies sit.

His voice began to crack.

“There were four trophies,” he said.

Colbert tapped a pen on the desk as he regained his composure after about 10 seconds.

“There were four when we got here, and you knew the task,” he said, staring at the table to avoid showing the flowing tears.

The pen tapping continued. This delay lasted 15 seconds, during which time Tomlin whispered, “It’s all right, brother.”

“You think about DMR,” Colbert said, referring to the late Dan Rooney. “Being able to add to that room means a ton, but that doesn’t mean it’s over. The next step, we have to get more than that. We’ll never lose sight of that, but it means a lot.”

Although Colbert won’t remain in his role as the Steelers chase that seventh trophy, he will watch eagerly to see whether his final draft class helps the organization reach heights it hasn’t seen since 2008 — the last championship season — or 2010, the last Super Bowl appearance.

On the third day of the draft, the Steelers used their four picks to take a second wide receiver and quarterback in addition to a running back-turned-linebacker and a running back-turned-tight end, who is a potential fullback.

Selected were Memphis slot receiver Calvin Austin III in the fourth round, Michigan State tight end Connor Heyward — the younger brother of defensive tackle Cameron Heyward — in the sixth round, and Mississippi linebacker Mark Robinson and South Dakota State quarterback Chris Oladokun with their seventh-round picks.

That quartet joins first-round quarterback Kenny Pickett, second-round wide receiver George Pickens and third-round defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal.

While the Steelers ensured they will have four quarterbacks on the roster for training camp and replenished a wide receiver room that lost three players to free agency, they didn’t add to the offensive line or secondary during the three-day process.

“Every time you go into a draft, you wish you had more than (you do),” Colbert said.

The absence of players drafted at those positions was offset by moves made in free agency. The Steelers added two interior linemen and re-signed starting right tackle Chuks Okorafor. They added cornerback Levi Wallace and brought back Ahkello Witherspoon on two-year contracts.

“We felt very comfortable about what we did in both rooms,” Tomlin said.

Pickens, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound receiver, brings size and physicality to the wide receiver group, which lost JuJu Smith-Schuster, its most physical pass catcher, to free agency along with James Washington and Ray-Ray McCloud. Then, the Steelers found a speedy slot receiver Saturday when they took the 5-8, 170-pound Austin, who also ran track at Memphis before earning a football scholarship.

“They are very different guys,” Tomlin said, “but you need differing skill sets in the receiver room.”

The Steelers also took a step toward restocking an aging defensive line by taking the 6-4, 283-pound Leal in the third round. He joins 2021 fifth-rounder Isaiahh Loudermilk as a mid-round draft pick who could work into the line rotation as a rookie.

“You’ve got to keep bringing youth,” Colbert said. “You’re encouraged to keep that youth on the line, so when a guy like Leal was there, it wasn’t a hard choice.”

For the record, Colbert’s final pick was Oladokun, a 6-2, 195-pound passer who will be hard-pressed to win a roster spot given the Steelers drafted Pickett No. 20 overall to compete with Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky.

“The last pick, we hope it’s the best pick,” Colbert said. “Only time will tell.”

Colbert is taking a similar approach with his future as he hopes to remain with the Steelers in a reduced capacity. With his final draft concluded, Colbert was looking forward to heading home to wife Janis and “see where life goes.”

“It’s been 38 years we’ve been doing this,” Colbert said. “I’ve enjoyed every moment of it, and I don’t know what is next. None of us do.”