Tre Norwood builds off one of best rookie seasons ever for a Steelers’ 7th-round pick

Time will tell if Tre Norwood has a decadelong career like Carlos Emmons, or if he ends up winning a pair or Super Bowls like Brett Keisel.

But, based on a solid first season of his NFL career, Norwood is on the way to something special.

A versatile defensive back, Norwood recently completed one of the best seasons on offense or defense for a rookie seventh-round pick in Pittsburgh Steelers history. If you take only into account since when the seventh round became the end of the NFL Draft in 1994, Norwood played more and made more of an impact than any rookie taken in the final round.

“I feel like I developed a lot,” said Norwood, who was taken 247th overall out of Oklahoma.

“I feel like every week I was able to grow and better myself as a player, and just getting more comfortable being out there, getting on the field, kind of learning this league.”

Steelers DB Tre Norwood, earlier this month, discussing who influenced and helped him as a rookie this season pic.twitter.com/He5mp0X1gi

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) January 31, 2022

Norwood became the first Steelers seventh-rounder to play in every game on offense or defense as a rookie since the draft was capped at seven rounds 28 years ago. Kicker Kris Brown in 1999 and special-teamer Tyler Matakevich, in 2016, also did that.

Norwood also made an impact, getting three starts (including the opener) and playing one-third of the Steelers’ defensive snaps for the season. After coach Mike Tomlin dubbed him a “Swiss Army Knife” when announcing his pick via Zoom, Norwood played multiple games each as the Steelers’ primary free safety and primary slot cornerback, in addition to playing as the “in-the-box” hybrid when they used their dime package.

The Steelers arguably haven’t gotten that kind of contribution from an offensive/defensive rookie taken in the final round of the draft since Carlos Emmons, who had 2½ sacks as a reserve outside linebacker in 1996.

Outside of Brown, you have to go back to when the draft lasted much longer to find a Steelers’ seventh-round pick who made as big of an impact as a rookie as Norwood. D.J. Johnson had a role as a reserve defensive back in 1989, David Little (1981) and Loren Towes (1973) as backup linebackers and running back Dick Hoak, a Jeannette native, made seven starts in 1961.

But the draft lasted 20 rounds back then. Norwood, as a rookie, was a rare diamond-in-the-rough “Mr. Irrelevant”-type for the Steelers. The nine seventh-round picks taken prior to Norwood (dating to 2013) combined for just 10 games in which they played at least one snap as a rookie on offense or defense.

Norwood made the first starts for a Steelers’ rookie seventh-rounder since 2012. He was one of only three seventh-round picks across the league to play in all 17 games this season, the only one to do so on offense or defense.

“He stepped up, really, every single week,” Steelers veteran safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said. “Making some really big plays on third downs, big plays on fourth downs, stepping up in his special-teams roles.

“I feel like he’s a guy who’s definitely going to be really, really beneficial for us in the future. He has nothing but a bright future ahead of him.”

For the first time in almost a decade, though, the Steelers seem to have hit on a pick in the final round of the draft with Tre Norwood. https://t.co/FLzt7JfJVz

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) October 25, 2021

Can Norwood sustain his upward trajectory and have a career as prosperous as Emmons (11 seasons for three teams) or Keisel (played in three Super Bowls among 172 games for the Steelers)?

First, will he find a permanent position? With four of the Steelers’ top eight defensive backs becoming free agents, coaches could decide to make Norwood a full-time starter in the slot. Or, maybe they continue to see his best value as a jack-of-all-trades puzzle piece used wherever he is needed because of injuries/gameplan.

Time will tell what future role Norwood plays. But for now, Norwood can bask in the glow of a rookie season that had to exceed reasonable expectations for any seventh-round pick (consider that three of the Steelers’ previous four didn’t even make the team).

Norwood vowed to spend the offseason getting stronger and to watch more film for the rigors of the spot at the NFL level.

“I feel now I am much more comfortable than I was from the beginning of the season,” Norwood said, “but very far from where I want to be. I want to continue to grow and elevate. I want to continue to get better.”

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