Did Steelers 'waste' a draft pick on QB Chris Oladokun?

The Pittsburgh Steelers already had free-agent signing Mitchell Trubisky, career backup Mason Rudolph and first-round draft selection Kenny Pickett attached to the organization when they spent a seventh-round draft choice — specifically pick No. 241 — on former South Dakota State Jackrabbits signal-caller Chris Oladokun.

Trubisky has been both unofficially and officially atop the depth chart since the springtime months, followed, in order, by Rudolph and Pickett. As ESPN's Brooke Pryor explained, head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed on Thursday that Trubisky will start Saturday's preseason opener versus the Seattle Seahawks and that the quarterback order will remain as is for now. 

Logic suggests Oladokun will see few meaningful snaps before August ends and will ultimately struggle to make Pittsburgh's active 53-man roster. For a mailbag published Thursday, Bob Labriola of the Steelers' website was asked if the club "wasted" a draft asset on a player it has "no intention of using" at this point of the process. 

"The Steelers always bring four quarterbacks to camp, and it's possible the team had Oladokun graded as better than the 241st player in the draft, and since the team was definitely going to bring four quarterbacks to camp, is it so much of a waste to draft one rather than try to bid for one as an undrafted rookie?" Labriola responded. "I believe the team didn't want a repeat of 2019, when they ended up starting a quarterback during the regular season who first was signed as a tryout after rookie minicamp. And Oladokun is better than Devlin Hodges, even if he doesn't have a catchy nickname.

"What if there's an injury to one of the top three quarterbacks? What if a quarterback-needy team makes an offer for Mason Rudolph that the Steelers like? Having Oladokun is insurance should either of those things happen. If Oladokun doesn't play during the preseason, he would be less likely to be claimed by another team should he be waived, and if he spends time on the Steelers practice squad maybe he could develop into a competent backup a few years down the road."

Labriola continued: 

"The decision to draft Oladokun didn't bother me when it happened, and it doesn't bother me now, because after seeing him in camp I don't know whether the Steelers could've picked anyone else at that stage of the draft with more potential to develop." 

Even if multiple Pittsburgh quarterbacks experience physical setbacks during the preseason, the club would probably first look to free agency or pursue a trade before it played Oladokun this fall. Truth be told, it will only be known if the Steelers "wasted" a draft pick on the 24-year-old several years down the road when this year's player-selection process can be fully evaluated.