![]() ![]() ![]() We went back and met and just evaluated our roster as to where we were. "We just talked amongst ourselves, continued to strategize - that was a good opportunity for us to discuss the process after the draft with signing some of the free agents. " on the phone, had some Chick-Fil-A downstairs," Khan said. When nothing panned out for a trade up into the fifth or sixth rounds, Khan used the break as a chance to catch his breath after two and a half whirlwind days. Fortunately, we got it because we think we got a really good football player in Nick Herbig."Įven with the reacquired fourth-round pick, the Steelers still had a long break between Day 3 picks, a layoff of more than 4.5 hours and 100 picks. was going to be a long wait from today if we didn't have an extra pick. "And the opportunity to pick up a fourth, which we had lost. "When the call came about trading back, we just evaluated it, and we had a good feel for how many players were left that we'd be interested in, and got the top guy actually on that list," Khan said. 93 and 132 - effectively getting back the fourth-round pick he gave up to get Jones in the first round. 80 slot, giving it to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for Nos. He traded out of the Steelers' original No. Just our gain."Īnd it wasn't just that Khan landed Washington, it's how he did it. "Honestly, did not expect him to be sitting there. "We thought very highly of him," Khan said of Washington. Later in the day he added two more players at key positions in DT Keeanu Benton and jumbo Georgia tight end Darnell Washington, who slipped in the draft amid rumors of medical concerns. 32 overall pick, Khan stood pat and drafted cornerback Joey Porter Jr. He was thoughtful in his approach.Īfter fielding trade offers for the No. "He's aggressive," the coach said firmly with a knowing nod.īut Khan wasn't just aggressive for the sake of making moves. That's what I'm trying to do."Īs Khan finished his answer, Tomlin jumped in with his own answer to the question. "I don't know if I'd call myself aggressive," Khan said with a sheepish grin. It was a smart move, but it was also an example of Khan's aggressive mindset, even as he deflected the description Thursday night. Moving up three spots in exchange for their first- and fourth-round picks was a good move, Khan said, because "the value was right for us for the trade." We are just really excited we were able to move up and make that trade." "I think everyone that was watching the draft would probably say there were several moves that were probably unexpected and surprises, and we see these moves pretty much at the same time everybody else does. "It was exciting, let me put it that way," Khan said, describing his first first round as general manager. That's pretty good."Īfter executing a rare first-round trade up - the fourth in the organization's history - to snag Jones, Khan and Tomlin walked into the Steelers' offensive line meeting-room-turned-draft-news-conference-headquarters wearing navy suits and weary smiles. "What did they call him, the Khan artist?" Tomlin said Saturday when asked if he still thought Khan was aggressive. And if not for a "light" Day 3 with three picks, Kiper wrote, the Steelers would have earned an A. Though the final results of the draft will play out over the next several seasons, NFL draft analysts gave the Steelers nearly unanimous high marks - including ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., who assigned the organization a B-plus. Not only did Khan add a heralded offensive tackle in Broderick Jones, he also methodically checked off every one of the Steelers' major needs with value picks and timely trades. He secured an extra second-round pick for wide receiver Chase Claypool at the trade deadline, signed a free agency class that included veteran corner Patrick Peterson, guard Isaac Seumalo and inside linebacker Cole Holcomb, and he executed a surprise low-risk trade for wide receiver Allen Robinson.īut the Steelers' 2023 draft class is the magnum opus of Khan's rookie season. PITTSBURGH - In the 11 months since he was named Kevin Colbert's successor, Omar Khan navigated a series of shrewd moves in his first season as an NFL general manager. Steelers' draft class, new general manager Omar Khan get high grades You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser ![]()
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