Mar 26, 2017 3 min read

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Meeting with reporters at the NFL owner’s meetings over the weekend, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said the team’s draft plans would be unaffected by anything they did in free agency.

Considering the moves the made, that’s no big surprise.

While defensive lineman Tyson Alualu, receiver Justin Hunter, running back Knile Davis and cornerback Coty Sensabaugh are nice pickups, they hardly address the team’s biggest needs.

Alualu adds some depth on the defensive line, but he’s not an edge rusher.

Davis gives the Steelers another potential kick returner and adds running back depth, but he’s not the backup for Le’Veon Bell for which the team needs.

Hunter is a nice deep threat, but he’s a journeyman at this point in his career. If the Steelers can add another potential down-the-road starter at the receiver position, they will do so.

And Sensabaugh, despite some starting experience, is hardly a long-term upgrade at the cornerback position.

The Steelers’ top three needs continue to be an edge rusher, a defensive back capable of playing in the slot and a running back capable of stepping in to play for Bell.

That hasn’t changed, despite the team’s work in free agency.

@ We are now a month out from the 2017 draft and we’ve seen three potential first-round picks either need surgery following the combine – Tak McKinley – or hurt themselves at their pro days – Sidney Jones and Fabian Moreau.

In the case of McKinley, an outside linebacker, he delayed having surgery on a labrum injury so that he could work out at the combine.

While that is commendable, it could still wind up costing him money if it’s deemed he won’t be ready in time for OTAs, mini-camps or even training camp.

His toughness, however, cannot be denied. I love the kid and I don’t know that I’d let it affect my opinion of him since he played through the injury during the season.

Jones and Moreau, however, could see their stock affected. The two corners were considered strong possibilities for the first round. Now, both could fall out.

Jones has an Achilles’ tendon injury, while Moreau tore his pectoral muscle. Those are two serious injuries.

@ The “experts” are all over the board on who the Steelers will take in the first round of the draft.

I’ve seen McKinley on a number of drafts, though I think he goes before their pick.

I’ve also seen T.J. Watt, the younger brother of J.J. Watt, a lot, as well as a number of different defensive backs.

One player I don’t see them taking is Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers.

The Steelers just selected Sean Davis in the second round of last year’s draft, so they don’t need another strong safety.

And Peppers, who weighed in at 213 pounds at the combine, would be even lighter at inside linebacker than 230-pound Ryan Shazier.

Another player the Steelers could take a pass on is Alabama’s Tim Williams.

Williams had a gun charge for carrying an unlicensed firearm last September. That’s not necessarily a deal breaker, but he admitted to multiple failed drug tests at Alabama. And that could be.