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Pittsburgh Steelers longtime head coach Mike Tomlin has seen draft classes come and go, and the Super Bowl champion now has a chance to see what the historic and venerable NFL franchise does during the 2020 draft without a first-round pick heading into the event.
Despite dispossessing a top pick in the draft, Tomlin, 48, is not worried about the current predicament.
Article Continues Below“I'm not fretting at all about not having a first (round) pick,” Tomlin said, via ESPN's Brooke Pryor on Twitter. That first pick is Minkah Fitzpatrick and we've already benefitted from his presence.”
“It’s going to be a spectator’s view. It’s a good opportunity for us to get comfortable with the organization of all of this.”
Tomlin on watching Thursday night without a first-round pick: "It's going to be a spectator's view. It's a good opportunity for us to get comfortable with the organization of all of this."
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) April 20, 2020
Tomlin referenced defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick as the team's “first-round pick”—the Steelers traded their 2020 first-round draft pick, among other picks, for the rising Miami Dolphins safety. Fitzpatrick had a terrific debut season for Pittsburgh, appearing in 14 games and coming away with five interceptions, making his first Pro Bowl appearance and nabbing a first-team All-Pro selection.
So, it may not be all doom and gloom that the Steelers are without a first-round pick for Thursday given Fitzpatrick's productivity. However, Pittsburgh is not flawless and does have holes that need to be plugged up, as the AFC North franchise just missed out on a postseason berth in 2019-20. With veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returning in 2020 and reportedly healthy for the start of the season, the Steelers should improve on paper in the upcoming campaign.
