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Re-drafting the Steelers' previous 10 first-round picks with hindsight

Still Curtain · Jul 20, 2026 14:00 · 4 min read

Re-drafting the Steelers' previous 10 first-round picks with hindsight — Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Looking back at the Pittsburgh Steelers' past 10 years of first-round picks, it's clear that this re-draft exposes their routine failure to find elite talent.

Even though the Pittsburgh Steelers have been heralded as one of the best franchises when it comes to adding talent at the NFL Draft, that reputation is falling apart. Looking back through their first-round picks over the past decade, it exposes a troubling trend.

They had better players available to choose from, but they often decided to go in another direction, specifically for need. Notably, this trend has seemingly begun to change under general manager Omar Khan, but the sample size is too small to know that for sure quite yet.

In this re-draft exercise, the Steelers will have a chance to take a different player selected in the first round of that year's NFL Draft (who was drafted after the Steelers original pick, of course). Pittsburgh made some poor choices with most of its top picks in the past decade, and it ended up costing them in the long run. This re-draft shows how history could've been different if they had gone a different route when the draft pick was made.

Pittsburgh Steelers re-draft of past decade of first-round picks exposes NFL Draft failures

We kick off this re-draft process with one of the worst first-round picks by the Steelers in recent memory. Artie Burns appeared to be a panic move by the franchise, as they were desperate to locate a top cornerback for their defense. Bringing in Kenny Clark instead would've helped stabilize the changing defensive front. Having Cam Heyward and Kenny Clark up front would have helped in the trenches.

T.J. Watt is by far Pittsburgh's best first-round pick over the last decade. He has started to slow down with age recently, but he remains one of the best defensive players in the NFL since arriving in the Steel City. He leads the franchise in career sacks and should only continue to grow his case for the Hall of Fame. The Steelers made the right move by selecting Watt, and it's paid off for them.

Here was the first massive misstep by the Steelers, as they should've drafted Lamar Jackson back in 2018.

Ben Roethlisberger had a few years left in the tank, but Jackson became one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL since becoming a full-time starter in 2019. Pittsburgh might have needed to force Big Ben out of town, but Jackson would've been the best long-term option to replace the future Hall of Famer.

Moving up in the first round of the NFL Draft to take Devin Bush is a recurring nightmare for many who follow the franchise. Instead of wasting their time with Bush, they should've gone with Jeffrey Simmons. Cam Heyward, Javon Hargrave, and Stephon Tuitt were still on the roster, but drafting Simmons here would've protected the Steelers after they eventually lost Tuitt and Hargrave.

There was no first-round pick by the Steelers after their trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick earlier that season. Chase Claypool was their first pick, but Jalen Hurts is someone who would've made a ton of sense. Big Ben was going into his penultimate season, and that was the perfect opportunity to land a successor.

Hurts isn't an elite quarterback, but he could've fit well in Pittsburgh.

It was no secret how much interest the Steelers had in Najee Harris when they took him. In this re-draft, it turns out he wasn't even the best running back available that year. Travis Etienne brings more all-around ability to the table, which the offense could've used. Harris is a power runner and more of a reliable one-trick pony. Etienne is an explosive playmaker who might've made the offense dynamic.

Here is where things went off the rails for the Steelers. Taking Kenny Pickett set the team back many years, and they are still recovering from that failure. Trent McDuffie was a prospect just sitting there for the taking and could've fixed their cornerback issues. McDuffie has produced a strong NFL career to date, while Pickett flunked out with the Steelers and is a career backup clinging to relevancy.

Although moving up to draft Broderick Jones looked good on paper at the time, it has aged like expired milk.

Jaxson Smith-Njigba is coming off a season where he produced monster numbers with the Seahawks. The Steelers could use a true number one receiving option like Smith-Njigba. Jones probably won't be a starter moving forward, while Smith-Njigba is a solidified Pro Bowler.

It's hard to argue with the pick of Troy Fautanu in the 2024 NFL Draft. He missed most of his rookie campaign due to injury, but last season proved he deserved the selection. Fautanu is now moving over to left tackle, which could make this choice in the re-draft debatable. If the former top pick can successfully make that transition, then he will be one of their best top picks in recent memory.

Time will tell how Derrick Harmon will turn out in the NFL, but it's too early to make a judgment. You could tell the immense talent he possesses as a run defender during his rookie campaign, but the Steelers need more from him going forward. Harmon's progression will be the guide for how this draft pick shakes out. Continuing to grow his game could make this decision look like a steal.

After missing out on Makai Lemon, the Steelers seemed to panic by taking Max Iheanachor.

The young offensive tackle could turn out well, but he needs a lot of work before he starts games. Someone like Omar Cooper Jr. might've been the better option at that point in the NFL Draft. They desperately needed a receiver, and going with Cooper seemed to be the smart choice at the time.