There was a telling moment from Steelers headquarters during Day 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Steelers had just completed a trade with New England to move up three spots in order to draft former Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones with the 14th overall pick. It was the latest in growing number of trades executed by Omar Khan during his first year as Pittsburgh's general manager.
Khan, speaking to the media after his most recent trade, was asked if he liked his growing reputation for being aggressive.
"I don't know if I'd call myself aggressive," Khan said. "I'm just trying to win a Super Bowl. That's what I'm trying to do."
Almost on cue, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin decided to add his two cents on the matter.
"He's aggressive," Tomlin said with a smile.
"I don't know if i'd call myself aggressive. I'm just trying to win a Super Bowl. That's what i'm trying to do." - GM Omar Khan pic.twitter.com/jybyl5848B
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) April 28, 2023
Khan doesn't need to be reminded of the Steelers' unofficial motto of "the standard is the standard." Khan, after all, has worked with the Steelers in some capacity since 2001. He spent over two decades working under his predecessor, Kevin Colbert, who handed the baton to Khan after the conclusion of last year's draft.
Colbert won two Super Bowls and three AFC titles as the Steelers' general manager from 2000-22. Under his watch, the Steelers drafted a slew of Hall of Fame-caliber talent that included Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu and Maurkice Pouncey, among others. He also pulled off several trades that included sending the Steelers' 2020 first-round pick to Miami in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick just two weeks in to the 2019 season. Earlier that year, Colbert traded up in the draft to acquire Devin Bush with the 10th overall pick.
As for Thursday night's trade, the one that allowed the Steelers to acquire one of the top offensive tackles in the draft, while it cost them the 120th overall pick, the Steelers felt that the chance to acquire a player who can provide much-needed depth behind Dan Moore Jr. and Chukwuma Okorafor was more than worth it.
"As late as this afternoon, we've been going through detailed strategy meetings, and Broderick was a player we identified would be a great addition to our team," Khan said. "When we saw how the draft was going and he was still sitting there, we started making some phone calls to see if there was an opportunity to trade up and get him and fortunately, we were able to make that trade with New England.
"Really excited. I think he's going to be a really great Steeler for a long time."
"He's a really talented guy," Tomlin said of Jones, who helped the Bulldogs win each of the last two national championships. "We were excited about him, really, at every step of the process. We had dinner with him the night before the pro day. Had a chance to spend time with him in his environment.
"It was interesting, I was in Athens a year ago and took a group of his former teammates out 12 months ago, and I said, give me a name that we're going to be back for in 12 months. And universally, Broderick's name was the guy's name that we got 12 months ago. That was the first time I really heard his name.
"In investigating, I see why they held him in such high regard. He's a really good player right now. But the upside is tremendous. He's a Diaper Dandy. We're excited about getting him in the fold and teaching him and letting him sort himself out."
Upon accepting the job as Steelers GM, Khan said observers would find that he would operate in a similar manner as Colbert did. That has proven to be the case during Khan's first 12 months on the job. Along with trading up on Thursday night, Khan acquired the first pick in the second round of the draft after trading Chase Claypool to Chicago just before last year's deadline. Speaking of receivers, Khan was able to make a trade with the Rams that brought veteran wideout Allen Robinson II to Pittsburgh just before the draft.
It was nearly a year ago when Colbert fought back tears as he concluded his final press conference as Steelers GM. He was especially emotional when he talked about the two Lombardi trophies the Steelers won during his run with the organization. Colbert also offered a subtle message that his predecessor has clearly taken to heart.
"You think about (former team president Dan Rooney) and being able to add to that room means a ton," Colbert said back then. "But it doesn't mean it's over. The next step, I mean, we've got to get more [Lombardi trophies], and we'll never lose that. But it means a lot."
