Every evaluator has the correct answers to the test in hindsight. Troy Polamalu is one of the NFL’s greats, a dynamic all-around player and first-ballot Hall of Famer. Did the NFL view him as anything resembling that when he was coming out of USC for the 2003 NFL Draft? Not quite.

I came across a 2022 article by Rick Gosselin that reviewed what scouts and evaluators thought of Polamalu before the draft. It’s worth resharing and reading the entire piece.

Opinions were mixed. Scouts loved Polamalu’s hard-hitting ways but worried over his inconsistency and ability to hold up at the NFL level.

“Great acceleration but an inconsistent tackler,” said one scout via Gosselin. “Takes some bad angles. Late 1 but could go higher. Quality kid who loves the game. He warmed up against Iowa (Orange Bowl, his final college game) but then didn’t play because of a knee injury. He also had some ankle issues during the season. I question his durability because he’s so physically tight. Not real flexible.”

One NFL personnel director and one general manager tabbed Polamalu as the draft’s clear-cut No. 1 safety. Still, not everyone was convinced.

“Medical concerns – and as reckless as he plays, he’s going to get hurt,” said another general manager.

Pittsburgh wasn’t deterred. Although their interest in Polamalu came after a bid to sign veteran free agent Dexter Jackson fell through, Kevin Colbert made the aggressive move to trade up for Polamalu in the first round. Pittsburgh climbed from 27th to 16th in a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, giving up No. 92 and No. 200 to complete the deal.

After Paul Tagliabue announced the pick, Mel Kiper Jr. offered his analysis.

It wasn’t far from reality. Few could’ve predicted Polamalu would go on to be a generational player, but Kiper correctly noted Polamalu’s A-plus instincts as the key to his success. He even mentions the struggles Devin Bush had as a pure athlete — that is, Devin Bush Sr. He was a first-round pick in 1995 and the father of 2019 Steelers’ first-round pick Devin Bush Jr. 

Pittsburgh trading up for Polamalu was a rarity, but newspapers noted the Steelers’ clear need at safety and interest in him. The day before, the Post-Gazette focused heavily on the odds of Pittsburgh targeting and even trading up for Polamalu.

Colbert said he was calling teams to lay the “groundwork for possible trades,” with the PPG noting that Colbert was already offering teams a third-round pick.

Colbert told reporters a third-round pick usually allowed teams to move up four or five spots. With their third and a sixth, the team managed to climb 11 spots on the board.

The paper also quoted Pete Carroll and Polamalu.

“I’m very passionate about what I do, and I like to hit,” the paper quoted Polamalu. “A lot of football players lose their passion as they get older, but mine is growing.”

The move proved to be perfect. Those concerned about Polamalu’s health had a point, and he missed time due to injury. Still, it was a great trade for an elite prospect in a scheme that worked for him. Dick LeBeau’s return in 2004 was a big help after Polamalu endured a bumpy rookie season.

Omar Khan can only hope to have such success with any of his first-round picks, though his classes are looking stronger than Colbert’s final few.