Pittsburgh Steelers 2017 NFL Draft retrospective

The Pittsburgh Steelers had one of the best drafts in 2017, landing multiple stars in T.J. Watt, JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner.

Entering the 2017 offseason, the Steelers were coming off an 11-5 season that was followed by two playoff wins before falling to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game. While 2016 could certainly be chalked up as a successful year for Pittsburgh, the Steelers weren’t without needs heading into the 2017 season.

James Harrison was set to turn 39 years old, and with 2015 first-round draft choice Bud Dupree underperforming, the Steelers were desperate to find help on the edge. In addition, wide receiver Martavis Bryant missed the entire 2016 season, and couldn’t be counted on after his third suspension. Markus Wheaton was set to hit free agency and Sammie Coates was underwhelming. The Steelers headed into the 2017 draft in need of an upgrade at this position.

Pittsburgh owned the 30th pick in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. After questionably picking Artie Burns in the first round the previous season, fans were starting to doubt the credibility of the scouting department and General Manager, Kevin Colbert.

However, in a less-than-stellar class, Pittsburgh owned the draft. Here’s a recap of each selection:

Original grade

FanSided: B-

"The Steelers swung for the stars with their first round pick to take the brother of J.J. Watt. Watt is very raw in his abilities. He has had two knee surgeries in his career, one for each leg. He is a former tight end who changed positions towards the end of his college career. It shows how raw he is in terms of understanding the play, reading and reacting and rushing with a purpose."

Draft class

Round 1 (No. 30)

CURRENT TEAM: Pittsburgh Steelers

T.J. Watt was a player who was on the Steelers radar leading up to the 2017 draft. Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert were both on hand for Wisconsin’s Pro Day, and it was clear the Watt had caught their attention.

Watt blew up the NFL Combine. His eye-popping numbers earned him a 142.0 SPARQ score – placing him athletically above 95 percent of NFL edge defenders. He possessed loads of upside, and with the edge defender position highly coveted, there were many doubts that he would be available when it came time for the Steelers to make their selection with the 30th-overall pick.

Drafting Watt was an easy decision for the Steelers and one that dozens of other teams should have made. He proved to be a solid player from the gate – earning 7.0 sacks as a rookie and making his presence felt all over the field.

In year two, Watt had a breakout performance. The athletic edge defender earned 13.0 sacks and six forced fumbles in 2018 and was selected to the Pro Bowl as an alternate. In 2019, Watt took his game to a whole new level. He recorded 14.5 sacks, eight forced fumbles, two interceptions, and 36 quarterbacks. His 60 quarterback pressures led the NFL, and he firmly solidified himself as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate for his performance this past season.

Watt proved to be a fantastic pick for the Steelers, and one of the best selections Pittsburgh has made in decades.

Round 2 (No. 62)

CURRENT TEAM: Pittsburgh Steelers

It’s been a while since the Steelers really struck gold in each of the first two rounds, but Smith-Schuster has a chance to make 2017 a historically good draft class for Pittsburgh. While JuJu hit a slump in his third season after playing with quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges, it doesn’t take away from the body of work he has achieved so far.

Smith-Schuster was brilliant for the Steelers in 2018 – earning 111 receptions for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns. He was a threat with the ball in his hands, and he had some of his best moments in clutch situations. JuJu was even voted Team MVP after a stellar second season.

Though Smith-Schuster had a down year in 2019, it’s important to remember that the receiver turned just 23 years old in the second half of the season and that he was playing with second and third-string quarterbacks.

Round 3 (No. 94)

CURRENT TEAM: Pittsburgh Steelers

It took cornerback Cameron Sutton a while to get his feet wet. The former third-round draft choice played 12 percent of snaps as a rookie but saw that number double in years two and three.

Sutton is slightly undersized for a cornerback and he didn’t test particularly well at the NFL Combine. However, he always seems to be in the right place at the right time. In 2019, he allowed just 56 percent of balls to be completed his direction, and his 51.2 passer rating allowed was second among defensive backs on the team, next to Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Sutton is shaping up to be a solid sub-package cornerback for the Steelers, and his role could be increased in 2020.

Round 3 (No. 105)

CURRENT TEAM: Pittsburgh Steelers

It’s impossible not to root for a guy like James Conner. After defeating cancer, the former Pitt running back stayed close to home as he was drafted by the Steelers with their compensatory pick in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Though often sidelined with nagging injuries, Conner has proven to be a solid option out of the backfield. He’s been a tough runner who has enough speed to hit the hole hard. Though he didn’t catch the ball much in college, Conner has also proven himself as a capable pass catcher.

While Conner might not be a feature back for the Steelers in the mold of Le’Veon Bell, he provides the versatility that they need. Even with his injury history, the 2018 Pro Bowler has been a solid third-round pick for the Steelers.

Round 4 (No. 135)

CURRENT TEAM: Jacksonville Jaguars

Though Dobbs was never really given a lot of opportunities to shine in Pittsburgh, he earned the trust of the coaching staff in 2018 as the Steelers kept him as the No. 2 signal-caller over veteran Landry Jones.

Dobbs fell out of favor in the preseason in 2019 as Mason Rudolph jumped ahead of him on the depth chart. However, Pittsburgh was able to pick up a fifth-round pick by trading him to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Round 5 (No. 173)

CURRENT TEAM: Seattle Seahawks

Brian Allen was a low-risk, high-reward prospect coming out of college. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, the defensive back was long and athletic with loads of upside. However, his tape was lacking.

Though Allen spent a total of 16 games on the Steelers roster between the 2017 and ’18 season, he didn’t make the roster for Pittsburgh this past season and was later signed to the Seattle Seahawks practice squad.

Round 6 (No. 213)

CURRENT TEAM: New York Giants

This was a bad pick by the Steelers. Pittsburgh was in search of a long-snapper to replace 12-year veteran, Greg Warren. However, Kameron Canaday ultimately won the job out of training camp. Holba would eventually go on to dress for three other NFL teams.

Round 7 (No. 248)

CURRENT TEAM: Free agent

It’s hard to hit on seventh-round draft choices, and this year was no exception for the Steelers. Though Adams flashed in preseason back in 2018 for the Steelers, he was eventually released from their practice squad. Adams was never signed by another NFL team.

Bottom line

It’s hard to find complaints with the Steelers 2017 draft class. Watt has emerged as one of the league’s premier defensive players, while Smith-Schuster and Conner have each made the Pro Bowl once in their first three seasons.

With three total Pro Bowlers including a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, there are very few teams (if any) who can boast about their 2017 Draft as much as the Pittsburgh Steelers. If Watt continues on his trend of dominance, he will put his name in contention for the Hall of Fame one day. That in and of itself is the reason for grading this draft class so high. Everything else they get from JuJu, Conner, and Sutton is just an added bonus.

by Tommy Jaggi

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