Former Steelers Coach Explains Who Makes Draft Decisions
It is rare for an NFL coach to stay with the same team for almost two decades, yet the former Steelers defensive coordinator, Keith Butler, was with the team for 19 years. He just retired back in 2021 and recently interviewed with Talegate Sports. He explained the Steelers’ decision-making hierarchy in the draft process and shared insight from an assistant coach’s perspective. Butler said, “What you have to do as a coach is you gotta go in and, as a coordinator, I had to look at like 50 guys. In order to study those guys, you have to watch three or four games from their last year to see what kind of players they are and see what they do best, and see what they struggle with or try to determine that. And then you go in and you stack the board.”
The draft process is ongoing for scouts, and by the time the NFL Draft happens each year, they are already focusing on a short list of players for the following season. It is common for scouts to already be familiar with players because they watched them during the previous year’s scouting process. Coaches get involved in the draft process when the season ends, and they rely on the scouts to give them a starting point. The coaches watch games and individually make their own lists. The scouts and the coaching staff reach a consensus on which players to draft.
However, the higher-ups in the organization make the final decision. For the majority of NFL teams, it is the general manager who makes the ultimate decision. With the Steelers, the general manager and head coach, Mike Tomlin, ultimately make the decision together. Butler said, “It stops with the GM, but the Steelers, anyway, the head coach got a big say. And the head coach usually, if he knows his assistants, he usually has a good idea about what they think too.” Tomlin has spent 18 seasons with the Steelers and has trusted opinions from his assistant coaches when it comes time to decide who the team drafts. Additionally, the owners also have a say in the Steelers’ draft process.
