Combine alterations could enrich appetite

INDIANAPOLIS — Ready or not, the Steelers start their draft process in earnest this week at the NFL Scouting Combine, which will have a different look, different drills and a different schedule from previous years.

The object, though, will remain the same: Try to identify the players best equipped — and available — to help them in 2020. And even beyond.

Even with only five draft choices available to them right now, and no first-round pick, the Steelers won’t change the way they approach the combine or their preparation for the NFL draft. They will look

strongly at their positions of needs and intently at all the others, with a major focus expected to be on running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and offensive linemen. They also need depth at defensive line and safety.

“Our preparation never changes,” general manager Kevin Colbert said. “Even when he picked 32, we still evaluated players we thought were going to go 1 through 10. That won’t change this year.”

But there will be plenty of changes at the combine, which begins Tuesday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The biggest is the scheduling of workouts, which will be televised in the afternoon and prime time because of the large viewership numbers they attract. The schedule change means teams will be allowed a maximum of only 45 formal interview spots with participants this year, down from 60.

In addition, several of the on-field drills are being altered, especially for the quarterbacks and wide receivers.

Because of the changes, at least two teams — the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams — are not sending their assistant coaches to the combine, deciding their time can be better spent watching film. They also can watch the drills on television, usually with a better sight advantage than from their far-away seats in the stadium stands. Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh also is skipping the combine, but that’s because he had knee-replacement surgery.

“The interview is something that we can’t get into, but it’s huge for some of these teams,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said in a conference call with members of the national media. “Watching them work out, watching them throw against air, watching them do all of the drills, you don’t glean a lot from that, but it’s good to be there. It’s a good atmosphere.”

Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network said he likes some of the drill changes this season, especially for the skill players. That’s an area the Steelers will be studying because of their interest in running backs, wide receivers and tight ends.

“I like what they’ve done with the drills,” Jeremiah said on a conference call. “They’re going to do a smoke route drill, which is basically how quick [a quarterback] can catch, gather and fire the ball out, which is something where if you watch football on Sunday, you’re going to see that happen two or three times. …

“I like the red-zone stuff they’re doing with the receivers. I think adding more coverage stuff with the linebackers and really dialing in on that … having the backs do more in the passing game with some of the option

routes and the different looks you can get out of them, I think all of those are real positive. It’s been long overdue to have our evaluation kind of match where the game is.”

Wide receiver is considered one of the deepest positions in the draft, which means there could be a lot of quantity and quality when the Steelers finally select at No. 49

Jeremiah said he has 27 receivers in the draft with at least a third-round grade. A year ago, for example, 13 of the 36 wide receivers were selected in the third round or higher.

“This is a really a phenomenal group of wideouts,” Jeremiah said.

The Steelers have had success drafting receivers in just about any round, even if they weren’t top picks. JuJu Smith-Schuster was a second-round pick. Hines Ward, Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, James Washington and Diontae Johnson were third-round picks. Martavis Bryant was in the fourth round. Antonio Brown came in the sixth round.

“Right now, we don’t have a first-round pick,” Colbert said. “Can that change? We always talk about a trade up, a trade back. … We never close that door.”

In his conference call, Kiper said he thought the Steelers could address any one of three positions with their first selection in the draft — edge rusher, wide receiver or running back. But the likelihood of an edge rusher will disappear once the Steelers use the franchise tag, as expected, on outside linebacker Bud Dupree.

The receiver he liked for the Steelers was Michael Pittman Jr., of Southern California, Smith-Schuster’s alma mater. Pittman has good size (6 feet 4, 220 pounds) and put up big numbers last season for the Trojans — 101 catches, 1,275 yards and 11 touchdowns.

“Pittman could be a good second-round pick for somebody,” Kiper said.

Running backs he thought could be available to the Steelers in the second round include LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Florida State’s Cam Akers. He said Maryland’s Anthony McFarland Jr. would be a great lateround pick.

The preparation starts this week.

Right now, we don’t have a first-round pick. Could that change? We always talke about a trade up, a trade back . ... We never close the door on that.

— Kevin Colbert Steelers GM