Former Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert addressed the challenges of identifying late-round talent during a recent Pittsburgh luncheon. He emphasized that many successful players exceeded the team's initial expectations. Colbert highlighted several notable examples from his tenure.
Colbert spoke at the event earlier this month. He noted that players like Brett Keisel, Antonio Brown, and Kelvin Beachum proved the scouting process more wrong than right.
“When you talk about unearthing late picks, those picks proved us more wrong than right,” Colbert said. He added that the team would have drafted such players higher if their potential had been fully recognized.
Colbert also mentioned undrafted free agents including James Harrison and Willie Parker. He credited the players themselves for surpassing projections rather than claiming credit for the selections.
The former general manager described drafting as inherently difficult, with first-round picks succeeding only about half the time.
