Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers: To Revive Career, Justin Gilbert Must Learn from Past

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Pittsburgh Steelers may not care about what happened with Justin Gilbert in Cleveland. But caring is the one thing that Gilbert absolutely must do.

Late last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers traded a sixth-round pick in order to snag former first-round cornerback Justin Gilbert away from the rival Cleveland Browns. The move is a relatively minor risk for the Steelers that could have a potentially huge reward. However, that all hinges on what they can squeeze out of Gilbert.

The Browns selected the former Oklahoma State standout with the eighth-overall pick in the 2014 draft. He possesses an ideal combination of size (6-0, 202 pounds) and speed (ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine) and was widely considered one of the top defenders in his draft class.

“The most talented cover corner in this year’s draft class, Gilbert has size, speed and flexibility to blanket receivers at the next level,” NFL Media’s Nolan Nawrocki wrote of Gilbert before the draft. “Also brings impact ability as a kick returner. Is capable of stepping into the starting lineup from Day 1 and playing at a high level if he adheres to a professional approach to the craft.”

The problem for Gilbert, it seems, is that he wasn’t really willing to take a truly professional approach with the Browns. He showed some flashes of potential as a rookie, but could not consistently stay on the field. Things got even worse in Year 2. Last season, he saw a paltry 51 defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

Part of the problem might rest with the Browns, of course. And it’s perfectly fair to wonder how many of their failed draft picks have really been busts. Many have been mishandled by the organization. However, the fact Gilbert struggled to just stay on the field is alarming.

With the Steelers, Gilbert will have an opportunity to turn everything around.

“Words can’t even explain how excited I am,” Gilbert said of his new opportunity, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. “I’m grateful.”

Pittsburgh also seems grateful to have Gilbert as part of the team, and head coach Mike Tomlin has made it clear that the cornerback’s time in Cleveland won’t be held against him.

“We don’t care what happened in Cleveland, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin said, per Bob Labriola of the team’s official website. “We’re not asking a bunch of questions in that regard. We simply acquired a young cornerback that another team didn’t want or need, and we’re putting him in our environment and starting the process of going to work on a day-to-day basis and see where that leads us.”

Even if the Steelers aren’t concerned with Gilbert’s struggles in Cleveland, Gilbert should be. If he’s actually going to revive his career in Pittsburgh, he’s going to have to learn from his mistakes.

Again, Gilbert is loaded with physical talent. However, his approach to the NFL game made him consistently ineffective on the field. Gilbert frequently found himself out of position in coverage and fooled by the offense. Even though the Browns gave Gilbert a clear path to playing time, he usually spent game days on the bench.

“There are things that he’s going to have to do in his personal life and his professional career to get it on track also and there’s no hiding that,” former Browns safety Donte Whitner said of Gilbert early in the offseason, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

Gilbert frequently missed meetings during his rookie season. He was also eventually suspended by the Browns for the team’s 2014 finale. It would seem that studying technique and studying game film weren’t Gilbert’s strong suits. These are issues Gilbert simply cannot have if he is going to survive with the Steelers.

The Browns were a rebuilding team that could afford to keep a guy on their roster based on potential, and they had a high draft pick invested in Gilbert. The Steelers are a team trying to fight for a Super Bowl berth. They need guys who can contribute now and in a meaningful way. If Gilbert cannot find a way to be one of those guys, Pittsburgh will have no use for him.

Gilbert can return kicks and play special teams, so he has a little bit of value already. However, he’s going to have to put in the work. It’s necessary for him to make a real defensive impact in order to stick around through the season. Gilbert has to put in the effort to transform who he is as a player and as a student of the game. Otherwise, the Steelers are likely to do to Gilbert what they have done to so many Browns defenders in recent years—simply toss him aside.