Steelers' Omar Khan Quoted His Former Boss After Quality Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't exactly have a franchise-altering draft, but they clearly had a plan that was executed the way they wanted to. They got bigger and better on the defensive line, added some help in the running game, and brought in some special teams help for added assurance. They didn't get the flashy first-round quarterback that numerous people expected them to get, but that may have been for the best with how weak the class was. They are more than happy with their sixth-round gem. 

After the draft, General Manager Omar Khan proudly proclaimed that the 2025 NFL Draft was a success for the Steelers.

"We feel like we're a better football team today than we were before the draft started," Khan said.

While that may sound like a basic statement that executives would say to the media, Mark Kaboly remembered hearing that from the team before, and not from Khan. He brought that up during his appearance on 93.7 The Fan.

"I remember four years ago, the Najee Harris draft, Kevin Colbert came out and said something to the effect of 'We're a better team now than we were at the start of this,'" Kaboly said. "Guess who else said that about 24 hours ago: Omar Khan."

It would make sense that Khan learned that phrase from Kevin Colbert, who he used to work with for many years. No matter how the draft turns out, you have to be confident that you made the right decisions, even if you didn't. If not, you're likely getting fired as soon as something goes wrong. As far as Khan is concerned, there were only a few correct decisions he could have made, and he made all of them. 

Colbert felt the exact same way after the 2021 draft. He found a pair of skill positions, addressed some major needs on the offensive line, and built up some depth on the defensive side of the ball. He even traded a future pick to add to the defensive line. As far as he was concerned, he did everything right and made no regrettable choices.

Steelers Likely Regret 2021 NFL Draft

Kaboly continued on to talk about that class, and he didn't have much confidence in how it panned out.

"It made me look back at that Najee draft," Kaboly said. "Freiermuth, who else? There might be one other guy still left on the roster. I think they had nine picks there, so wait and see [for the 2025 draft]."

Of the nine rookies drafted by the Steelers in 2021, only two of them are still on the team four years later. As Kaboly mentioned, Pat Freiermuth is one of them. He has been a quality tight end, but it feels like there is another gear he can hit. The other one is Isaiahh Loudermilk, a backup defensive tackle that will be fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster, let alone snaps. 

When the Steelers drafted Freiermuth, they passed on Creed Humphrey, a seemingly can't-miss center prospect who quickly developed into one of, if not the best, centers in the NFL, and he has been a key piece of the Kansas City Chiefs' dynasty. That was a swing and a miss by Colbert.

The Steelers gave up a future fourth-round pick to draft Loudermilk in the fifth round, and he has not developed as they thought he would. Who knows how that fourth rounder would have been used if they never traded it away, but in hindsight, Colbert would likely want a do-over on that decision as well.

Of the nine draft picks used by the Steelers that year, five of them were either cut or traded away before their rookie contract expired. Najee Harris, the first-round pick in the draft, did not have his fifth-year option accepted, so he left in free agency. While Khan pulled a good quote from Colbert, hopefully his draft ends up with a much better success rate than his former boss'.