Steelers to receive three more picks before 2018 NFL Draft
Bryan DeArdo - 5 hours ago 0
Mike Tomlin's Steelers are going to be in great shape when it comes to adding pieces to the team's championship puzzle via the 2018 NFL Draft. While the team currently has five picks, Pittsburgh is going to receive three more picks from the NFL before the start of the draft.
Pittsburgh will be awarded the 49ers' fifth round draft pick that was part of the trade for tight end Vance McDonald that took place just before the start of the 2017 season. The Steelers gave up their fourth round pick in this year's draft as part of that transaction. Pittsburgh is also expected to receive a fifth round compensatory pick. The Steelers are also expected -- via Bob Labriola of Steelers.com -- to receive a sixth round pick from the Giants in return for Ross Cockrell, who was traded to New York before the start of last season.
Total, that gives the Steelers eight draft picks in the first, second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds of this year's draft.
In what has been the case for the last several years, Pittsburgh is expected to use the majority of their draft picks on the defensive side of the ball, particularly at the inside linebacker and safety positions. On Thursday, team GM Kevin Colbert said that several veteran players will not be on the roster in 2018, meaning that Pittsburgh will need to replace those players with rookies and free agents that can make an immediate impact in 2018.
“I think that the group we have coming back, most of those players are either in their prime or they are on the rise,” Colbert said, via Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I do believe that group has a chance to get better. Does that mean we won't add to it? If we don't change the roster we had in 2017, what reason would be think there would be any difference in the results?
“So, we have to be ready to be better than we were last year.”
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