Steelers were reportedly surprised that highly touted prospect ‘fell into their lap’

When making decisions on whether or not to move up or down a draft board, there are plenty of factors involved. 

The foremost is, what a team needs, and what they are willing to give up to get the player. 

And while the anticipation and anxiety of sitting back and waiting was probably eating Pittsburgh Steelers GM Omar Khan up inside, his patience paid off: 

Steelers Long Game Pays Off

The Pittsburgh Steelers were ready to select Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson with the 51st selection in round two last night, that was until Zach Frazier fell in their laps. The team never expected the West Virginia center to last that long and when he did, it was a no-brainer. Fortunately for them, Wilson, whom they view through the lens of Hines Ward, fell to their selection in the third round.

-Tony Pauline, SportsKeeda

As far-fetched as that report sounds, a simple examination of the pre-draft consensus big board proves that Pittsburgh was right in their thinking. Frazier wasn't much of a stretch at 51, seeing as he sat at 41 on the big board. 

That doesn't mean the nervousness of waiting on Frazier wasn't bad, but it couldn't have compared to that of Roman Wilson. 

Selecting the talented WR at 84 overall, that was over 30 spots lower than Wilson's projected positioning, leaving both the Steelers and many in the media shellshocked that he would last that long. 

Some might view that as a negative, but I think more context is needed.

Wilson is a higher character, high-achieving WR with championship pedigree, elite speed and soft hands that cradle the football. 

And sure, he's a little smaller at just under 6 foot and 180-190 pounds, but that wasn't enough to make him drop over 30 spots. 

The truth is, when the Colts took AD Mitchell at 52, the gap between the first crop of WRs and the next collection was formed, with other teams viewing Wilson as part of that next tier. 

That left Pttsburgh in a position to pounce on the dynamic WR and the rest will be history.