The Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, has been good to the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2016.
That year, head coach Mike Tomlin, along with former general manager Kevin Colbert, found a talented defensive tackle out of South Carolina State by the name of Javon Hargraves. A little over three months later, the team would end up taking the Pro-Bowl lineman in the third round of the NFL Draft.
The pick of Hargraves is significant because it would establish a tradition in which the Steelers would draft at least one player from this event each year:
2017 - Cameron Sutton, Joshua Dobbs, and Colin Holba
2018 - James Washington, Jaylen Samuels, and Marcus Allen
2019 - Isaiah Buggs
2020 - Chase Claypool
2021 - Quincy Roche, Dan Moore Jr., and Tre Norwood
2022 - Kenny Pickett, Calvin Austin III, and Connor Heyward
2023 - Keeanu Benton
In this year's draft, the Steelers had their biggest Senior Bowl haul to date. Their first four picks were players who participated in this year's game: Troy Fautanu in the first round, center Zack Frazier in the second round, and both receiver Roman Wilson and linebacker Payton Wilson in the third round.
What should be noted is the quality of talent. During the Colbert era, the only notable player selected from the Senior Bowl was Sutton, who is currently making his second stint with the team. Claypool, on the other hand, is an example of a player who regressed tremendously after a strong rookie season. In the case of Dobbs, he has made a name for himself as one of the top backup quarterbacks in the league after leaving the Steelers in 2019.
So far in the Omar Khan era, there has been a considerable difference in the quality of talent. Benton has been projected by many as a potential defensive star. The first four picks from the Steelers draft each have the potential to play big minutes in their respective rookie seasons.
What is certain is that the Senior Bowl has been critical to the Steelers' offseason draft process. As the caliber of collegiate talent improves, one should expect the squad to maintain this trend for many years to come.
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