The move may have been a bit shocking to see the Pittsburgh Steelers select a second quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft, grabbing South Dakota State quarterback Chris Oladokun at No. 241 overall.
However, impressed by his overall demeanor and leadership, outgoing Steelers’ General Manager Kevin Colbert felt comfortable pulling the trigger on the well-traveled signal caller, adding him to a now-deep quarterback room, along with fellow rookie Kenny Pickett.
Speaking with reporters Saturday following the conclusion of the 2022 NFL Draft, Colbert praised Oladokun’s demeanor and maturity, citing those reasons — along with his skillset — as to why the Steelers double-dipped at quarterback to close his final draft as the Steelers’ GM.
“We had good grades on him coming out of there,” Colbert said regarding the selection of Oladokun, according to video via the Steelers’ official YouTube page. “He played in the NFLPA game and we decided, look, we wanted to add another quarterback to our roster and this young man, we brought him in for a pre-draft visit, very mature, very smart, impressed us not only on the field, but with his off the field talents and intelligence and just demeanor.”
There was certainly a level of familiarity there with the Steelers, as Oladokun came to Pittsburgh for a pre-draft visit with the Steelers late in the pre-draft process. Likely wanting to avoid the competition in the undrafted free agent market, the Steelers felt good enough pulling the trigger on the pick, adding an intriguing arm to the room.
For now, Oladokun will get a chance to compete for a roster spot in a deep quarterback room with Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph. There’s plenty of traits the Steelers have been looking for, especially mobility, at the position.
