In general, seventh round picks face long odds to ever stick in the league. Seventh round quarterbacks have even a taller mountain to climb. But Pittsburgh Steelers’ 7th round selection QB Chris Oladokun thinks he can be an exception. And is anxious to prove himself starting this summer.
In a great article written by Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley, Oladokun expressed an unwavering belief in what he can bring to the team.
“I believe in myself,” said Oladokun. “I have the ultimate belief in myself. I even have confidence tattooed on myself, on my left bicep.”
He told Varley the tattoo signifies strength and confidence, two things he’ll need to push for a roster spot this summer. Oladokun was the final edition to a quarterback room that looks vastly different compared to a year ago. Three out of the four players are newcomers. Mitch Trubisky signed a two-year deal during the first hour of free agency while Kenny Pickett and Oladokun were drafted a month later. All eyes are on the top two names, Trubisky and Pickett, as they battle for the starting spot. But it’s not the only competition. Oladokun is vying for his chance to make the 53, potentially pushing Mason Rudolph off the roster, similar to how Rudolph made veteran Landry Jones expendable.
But nothing Oladokun has is guaranteed. He’ll have to maximize his physical reps and log plenty of mental ones. With no quarterback given veteran days off this year, his chances for reps are minimal. On days where Ben Roethlisberger practiced fully last summer, Josh Dobbs didn’t see a single rep in team drills. Perhaps the team will make more of an effort to give Oladokun a couple of snaps this summer, he’s far less proven than Dobbs, but his chances to impress will be few and far between.
“I’ve been through a lot of adversity,” he told Varley. “I think I’m built for any situation that’s been thrown at me.”
Oladokun has had an unconventional path to the NFL. He spent time at three colleges: USF, Samford, and South Dakota State, before making his way into the league. Bouncing from place to place made his college journey more difficult but has hardened him for the NFL rigors and may have allowed him to absorb the Steelers’ playbook sooner; he’s used to picking up a new offense on the fly.
On paper, he has baseline tools to perform well. The arm, the mobility, the command of the offense. But he’ll need to clean up his accuracy and work on his pocket presence while taking care of the football this summer. Should Rudolph get shipped out for whatever reason, an offer too good to pass up, his own trade request, or something else, Oladokun will slide into the #3 spot. Whether that’s on the 53-man roster or on the practice squad is a different question. But one step at a time. It starts with this summer. And it starts with some belief. And Oladokun clearly has that in spades.
