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During the 2024 NFL offseason, the main focus for the Pittsburgh Steelers is getting themselves back to winning on the biggest stages.
They haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season, losing five in a row since that last win.
As a result, they could find themselves looking to draft a player who recently won a national title in college.
According to Steelers Depot’s Jonathan Heitritter, Pittsburgh had a formal meeting with Michigan linebacker Junior Colson at the NFL Combine.
Colson would fill a major positional need for the Steelers and has plenty of experience playing winning football.
Championship Career at Michigan
During his career as a Michigan Wolverine, Colson did nothing but win.
The team made it to the College Football Playoff in all three of his seasons in Ann Arbor.
This past season they won the national title.
Michigan’s success was largely built upon one of the nation’s best defenses and he was a big part of that defense.
Over the last two seasons, Colson made 196 total tackles for a Wolverines defense that finished in the top 10 in points allowed for each season.
As a result of his contributions to this dominant defense, Colson earned a spot on the All-Big Ten Second Team in each season.
Colson also put his toughness on display during Michigan’s run to the national title in 2023.
The junior linebacker broke his hand during a win over Purdue in early November and didn’t miss a game, playing the rest of the season with a cast on his arm.
His production for a winning team and the toughness he showed during his junior season make him a great fit for a Steelers team that needs to find reinforcements at linebacker during the 2024 offseason.
Colson’s Fit With the Steelers
The Steelers had an inside linebacker problem during the 2023 season.
Elandon Roberts was the team’s only truly dependable option at inside linebacker and it became clear how little depth they had at the position when he missed their Week 17 game against the Seahawks.
Heading into 2024, the Steelers need somebody they can trust to line up next to Roberts from week to week.
Colson could be that guy.
More importantly, Colson could be that guy without costing the Steelers too much.
Despite his production, accolades, and the attention that comes with playing for a title-winning Michigan team, Colson could still fall to the third round of this year’s draft.
It’s partially a product of the position he plays. Inside linebackers don’t tend to be too highly valued on draft day and there might not be one selected in the first round this season.
That’s not good news for linebackers, but it’s pretty great for the Steelers.
They have a lot they need to address this offseason. They probably won’t be able to address most of them in round three or later in the draft.
If they can get a player who could be a starter early in his career at a position where they need to make improvements, it would be a big win for them.
Colson is a player I’ve thought Steelers fans should keep an eye on for the last couple of months and that remains the case heading into the NFL Combine.
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