Another year has come and gone, with another draft on the horizon. It’s the perfect time to take a step back and reflect on the year that was, especially with respect to the most recent draft class. The Pittsburgh Steelers made seven selections in the 2022 NFL Draft, one in each round except for the fifth (zero) and the seventh (two).
The top of the draft marked one of the most momentous decisions in decades, as they used their first-round pick on the quarterback they hope will be the long-term successor to the retired Ben Roethlisberger. And they used much of the rest of the draft to find him weapons, marking the second year in a row they used each of their top two picks on offense.
Only two defenders were drafted, including a defensive lineman in the third round, the first time they have taken a lineman on that side of the ball earlier than the fifth round since Javon Hargrave in 2016. They also added an inside linebacker in the seventh round, who is the only holdover at the position from last season.
Over the next week, we will be looking at each of these players one by one and examining how their rookie season went and what we can expect from the moving forward, both during the 2023 season and potentially for the long term. But we’ll discuss each briefly below.
Player: Chris Oladokun
Position: QB
Draft Status: Seventh Round (241st overall)
Snaps: 0
Starts: 0 (0 games)
Of the Steelers’ seven draft picks from 2022, all but one remains with the team. Five of the seven were meaningful contributors last season. The only exception who remains in Pittsburgh is fourth-round wide receiver Calvin Austin III, who was injured.
The one who didn’t make the cut was Chris Oladokun, the second quarterback the Steelers drafted after using the 20th-overall selection on Kenny Pickett. Oladokun was the proverbial “fourth arm” behind Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph and boy did they use him like it.
I suppose if one out of seven draft picks is not going to make the team it might as well be the 241st-overall pick, but it is difficult in hindsight to ascertain what the Steelers’ plan was when they used a draft pick on Oladokun.
Nothing that happened after that point seemed to give any indication that they were putting a legitimate chance at making the 53-man roster in front of him. He got few reps in training camp and the preseason, and it’s no wonder he was cut soon after.
Don’t worry though, he landed on his feet with the Kansas City Chiefs and earned a Super Bowl ring while a member of their practice squad. They’ve also re-signed him this offseason, obviously liking something they saw in him. And now the Steelers are looking for a number three quarterback, possibly weighing using another draft pick on the position.
