Mike Tomlin knows all eyes on him. As well-traveled on the Pro Day circuit as any head coach despite a lighter presence this year, when Tomlin is on a college campus, the media turns their attention to him. And he admits to trying to throw the draft world off the trail, checking out players he doesn’t actually plan on drafting.
Joining Omar Khan in the team’s pre-draft press conference Monday afternoon, Tomlin discussed his Pro Day process.
“Sometimes at Pro Days, I’m looking at people I’m not interested in because I know everyone is watching,” Tomlin said via the team’s YouTube channel.
Tomlin and Khan attended four Pro Days this cycle, a comparatively low number to years past – excluding the 2020 COVID year – where the Steelers’ big decision-makers would attend upwards of double-digit workouts. This year, the pair attended Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, and Michigan. Usual stops for them along the way, all big schools with a deep roster of draftable prospects to maximize their Pro Day schedule.
“To be bluntly honest, there’s not a lot of my peers that work the way that I work. So I understand my movement, what I pay attention to, who I conversate with all becomes media fodder. So sometimes I have fun with you guys,” Tomlin said, referring to the media.
Though Tomlin might be trying to play some mind games, the Steelers’ track record is clear. As we’ve noted countless times, the Steelers’ first-round selection has had Tomlin or the team’s GM (Kevin Colbert or Khan) attend their Pro Day in every season since 2010. The last exception was Missouri DL Ziggy Hood, a miss by the team and perhaps one reason why the Steelers shifted toward personally attending those workouts.
But given the low Pro Day total that streak could be broken this year. Pittsburgh’s list of pre-draft visitors is populated by those whose Pro Days they didn’t attend and perhaps a small shift in how the team operates. The pre-draft visit can afford a similar opportunity for a long meeting and conversation with a prospect just like the Pro Day.
We’ll see if Tomlin’s smokescreen is real. If the “Blue’s Clues” Pro Day streak ends. Not only will we have plenty to review when it comes to the players the Steelers select this weekend but there will be a chance to review the team’s process and see what’s different in Omar Khan’s second year drafting as general manager.
