Farabaugh: Chris Oladokun Pick Never Made Sense
When the Steelers drafted Chris Oladokun in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the pick made very little sense. In fact, most of the signals that many were taking towards it involved Mason Rudolph potentially being on the move. So, when Oladokun was released on Tuesday, the questions that were there from the start seemed to be confirmed to even the most optimistic viewer.
There were obvious reasons that the Steelers did pick Oladokun. For one, they always go into training camp with four quarterbacks. So, Oladokun was the de facto guy to fill that void. Even more so, it was a guaranteed way for the Steelers to get him on the roster rather than go through the undrafted free agent process. So, they liked something they saw in him in order to pick him.
The issue with Oladokun’s tenure is that he simply never got a chance to really show anything. Outside of the last two days at training camp, Oladokun was afforded minimal opportunities. He hardly ever got more than a mental rep while the top three quarterbacks continued to work. It was not the fact that Oladokun was ready or not, but he never had the chance to prove if he was. Basically, Oladokun never had a shot to prove much of his skillset at all.
Those lack of in-practice reps was not made up for any in-game reps either. Oladokun never played in any of the two preseason games that the Steelers participated in. It is easy to feel for Oladokun in that case. A seventh-rounder in Oladokun’s spot would always have a tough time making the roster. His lack of reps, however, only exacerbated that, and he really has no tape to use to sell himself at an NFL level, either.
So, in reality, sure the Steelers could work Oladokun back onto the practice squad. That very thing is possible for him. It should be noted that plenty of teams had an interest in Oladokun, however, so it may be hard to sneak him back onto the practice squad. That could be the Steelers’ master plan with Oladokun. Still, Oladokun had pre-draft interest from teams and may want to wipe the slate clean and go elsewhere.
In the grand scheme of things, this does make that much of a difference. After all, the seventh round of the NFL Draft is largely a tough place to get quality players. Still, maximizing that probability with a vision for each pick is what should be taken by every NFL general manager and organization. The Oladokun pick by the Steelers is a puzzling and strange decision for that very reason.
Of course, everything has to come together for Oladokun to potentially come back to the practice squad. Still, the Steelers pick of Oladokun with his lack of reps is strange. It did not make much sense back in May, and it still does not make much sense. Luckily for the Steelers, it was nothing more than a late seventh-round pick.
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