If you study any NFL team long enough, it’s not hard to pick up on their draft trends. Some teams tend to draft only Power 5 school players, some favor local products, and some draft based on statistical production or athletic traits. The Steelers have a checklist of things they look for, but Mike Tomlin is partial to players from the state of Michigan.
Yes, contrary to popular belief, it’s not just the University of Michigan Tomlin falls in love with during the draft season, it’s most NFL-talent producing schools in the whole state.
In fact, since 2015, Tomlin and Kevin Colbert have drafted 6 players from either Michigan, Michigan State, Central Michigan, and Western Michigan, according to Pro Football Reference.