A lot of people felt going into the 2015 NFL Draft that Pittsburgh Steelers general manager needed to hit more than a few home runs with his eight picks.
Needless to say, at least on paper, that doesn’t look like it is going to be the case once again.
When the rosters were trimmed to 53 players this weekend, it included some of that class.
Three of the team’s eight picks were cut this weekend, including fourth-round cornerback Doran Grant, sixth-round pass-rusher Anthony Chickillo (both Grant and Chickillo were signed to practice squad) and seventh-round safety Gerrod Holliman.
Add to that that among the five picks from this class that remain, none look like they will make much of an impact, at least during the 2015 season.
Colbert needed to get a couple cornerbacks that could at least step onto the field this season. Not only was Grant released, but second-round pick Senquez Golson will spend the season on injured reserve. That prompted Colbert to have to trade for Brandon Boykin during the early portions of training camp.
Finding impact corners has been a problem for Colbert and his staff. It has been three consecutive seasons that the team has selected a corner in the fourth or fifth round. None have lasted one season with the team.
The Steelers will have four of their eight draft picks on the 53-man roster this season, but none of them look like they will make much of an impact.
The guy who has shown the most potential is first-round pick Bud Dupree, but he will likely begin the season behind Arthur Moats on the depth chart. While Dupree has shown flashes, he is also far away from being a sure thing.
Then there’s third-round pick Sammie Coates, who was taken out of necessity due to the Martavis Bryant suspension.
Coates is also far from a finished product and didn’t get a ringing endorsement from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
When asked directly about Coates’ impact, all Roethlisberger would talk about was the increased role for Darius Heyward-Bey. That’s not a real good sign for Coates.
Fifth-round pick Jesse James also remains on the roster, and while he may see some red zone snaps during the season, is still a project.
While it isn’t really accurate to judge a draft until the players are in the league for a few years, it is fair to say that this is another one of Colbert’s classes that isn’t looking real good to start.
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