We’re finally here. Part thirteen and the final installment of a series I’ve been exploring over the next several weeks. Kevin Colbert is calling it a career as GM, or de facto GM, of the Pittsburgh Steelers. His career has so much in it, running the team since 2000. Lots of highs, two Super Bowls added to the trophy case, and the occasional low, but overall, a fantastic career for a – by all accounts – fantastic person.
What I’ll continue doing today is recapping and ranking all the draft picks Colbert made in his tenue with the team. Every. Single. One. That’s 176 picks from 2000 to 2021. I am, obviously, leaving out the 2022 draft class since they are impossible to judge in any capacity. But the rest are fair game. We’ll revisit and remember the best picks, the first round studs, Day Three steals to the busts and the guys who simply never did anything in Pittsburgh.
There’s a slight method to my madness. In creating the rankings, I considered *only* what the player did in a Steelers’ uniform. Even if the selection had a good or great career elsewhere, and you’ll see examples of that, it is excluding from consideration. The player may have worked out but not to Pittsburgh’s benefit and that’s the only thing that matters. What we won’t consider are circumstances that led to a player’s success of failure. If a player got hurt or traded or cut or whatever, we’ll accept it without examining it. Players struggle for different reasons but it’s too subjective trying to make those kinds of excuses.
I also weighed the round/selection the player was drafted in, slight consideration to positional value, the process in which the player was picked, and of course, the quality of the players Steelers’ career.
We’ll work down this list #176 to #1, meaning we’ll begin with the worst selection Colbert’s ever made until we get to his best pick. There may be some surprises, controversy, and plenty of blasts from the past along the way. These articles will include roughly 15 names at a time, though the number may sometimes change based on the grouping.
In Part thirteen of the series, we’ll work through the top ten, #10 through #1. You know the names but the order may surprise you. If you want to check out part twelve, click the link here.
Though this is the finale, we will be doing one recap article later this week with a couple interesting tidbits and conclusions from this series. Hope you enjoyed it.
#10 Ike Taylor/CB UL-Lafayette – Round 4, 125th Overall (2003)
One of Kevin Colbert’s best Day Three gems, Taylor is also arguably the fastest player Colbert ever took. Though unconfirmed, trainer Tom Shaw claims Taylor ran a 4.18 40 in his career which would blow John Ross’ record out of the water. Taylor used that speed to be a lockdown cornerback on Steelers’ teams that relied on him to erase top opposing receivers. Hands? He didn’t have. But he could and would clamp top receivers week-after-week with remarkable durability and availability.
From 2005 to 2013, age 25 to age 33, Taylor missed just four games, all coming in 2012. Picking off just 14 career passes and dropping probably just that many, Taylor never made a Pro Bowl. But Pittsburgh knew his value. Taylor had confidence but not arrogance and embodied what it meant to be a Steeler. Tough, athletic, a little flash but not over the top. His 140 starts rank inside the top 25 in team history and are fifth most of any of Colbert’s selections. The only true CB with more starts than Taylor’s in team history is Mel Blount, incredibly company to be part of.
Those 140 starts are also the most of any fourth rounder in Colbert history. Taylor and Larry Foote are the only fourth rounders with 100+ starts in Colbert’s career. Not bad for back-to-back picks in 2002 and 2003.
As a Steeler, Taylor started on two Super Bowl winning teams and goes down as an all-around excellent player. The fact he made the top ten with few personal accolades, Pro Bowls, All-Pros, and the like, tells you how good he was. And from the fourth round makes it an even sweeter gem.
#9 David DeCastro/OG Stanford – Round 1, 24th Overall (2012)
A gift that fell into the Steelers’ lap, few expected DeCastro to be there with Pittsburgh’s 24th pick. But the Football Gods smiled down upon Kevin Colbert and he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity. Things got off to a slow start his rookie year, an injury limiting him to just three starts in 2012. But he hit the ground running come 2013, starting 15 games. It took a few years for him to gain national recognition, perhaps illuminated by Le’Veon Bell’s success. He made six straight Pro Bowls with two All-Pro selections from 2015 to 2020. Of Steelers’ offensive lineman in history, the only others who can say that are Mike Webster, Dirt Dawson, and Alan Faneca.
DeCastro had it all. He was big, strong, athletic, and perfect for the Steelers’ scheme that asked him to pull and trap. He was a steady and consistent source of excellence. Off the field, he came out of his shell and became a pretty good interview by the end of his playing days.
His career would’ve been even better had it not been for a nagging history of ankle injuries that bothered him and eventually ended his career, cut in the summer of 2021. He hasn’t officially retired but it’s hard to envision any scenario in which he returns. Still, his 124 starts were all quality. Except when he faced Fletcher Cox. But everyone has their kryptonite.
#8 Casey Hampton/NT Texas – Round 1, 19th Overall (2001)
Big Snack represented something Colbert only did once in his career. Trade down in the first round. Colbert moved from #16 to #19 in 2001 and still came away with one of the best picks in the draft in Hampton. It’s a wonder why Colbert didn’t go down more often.
No, Hampton didn’t stuff the box sheet. He stuffed the buffet sheet which in turn made him an immovable nose tackle and center on consistently elite run defenses. Put it this way. In Hampton’s first six years, the Steelers finished with a top ten rushing defense – Hampton was limited to just six games in 2004, to be fair – every single year.
He only had nine career sacks and less than 400 career tackles. But he made five Pro Bowls, ate up blocks so James Farrior, Larry Foote, and all the others could do their job. That was his role and he did it about as well as any big man of his time. Hampton played crucial roles in netting the team their fifth and sixth Lombardi trophies. Though he was a big guy in the middle, he had a long-lasting career that I don’t think people remember and credit enough. He played through his age 35 season, including starting all 16 games in 2012, his final season. Hampton started 164 games, all with Pittsburgh.
For comparison’s sake, Hampton’s 164 starts are third most of any of Colbert’s picks, first round or not. More than Maurkice Pouncey. More than Troy Polamalu. More than everyone but Ben Roethlisberger and Heath Miller.
#7 Heath Miller/TE Virginia – Round 1, 30th Overall (2005)
Speaking of Miller, he comes in at the #7 spot on this list. The team’s first round pick during their ’05 Super Bowl run, Miller made an immediate impact, which was uncharacteristic for a rookie, especially ones who didn’t play solely due to injury, like Roethlisberger the year before. Miller started 15 games as a rookie and finished second on the team with six receiving scores, though funny enough, he didn’t catch a single pass or even receive one target in the team’s Super Bowl win over Seattle.
Miller’s stats slowly climbed in lockstep with the team’s emerging passing offense. 2009 was his best statistical season, recording 76 catches for 789 yards and six scores. But Miller’s impact and role can’t be quantified in stats alone. Miller was the ultimate teammate and one of Ben Roethlisberger’s favorites. He was as well-rounded as any tight end of the last 20 years, a tremendous blocker and security blanket receiver. He didn’t care if he caught one pass or ten. As long as he helped the team win, that’s all that mattered to him.
Because of that, Miller’s accolades and awards are light, just two career Pro Bowls. But he was an important piece of winning two rings and passed Elbie Nickel as the greatest tight end in team history.
#6 Maurkice Pouncey/OC Florida – Round 1, 18th Overall (2010)
Colbert drafted three offensive linemen in the first round over his career and they were all hits: Kendall Simmons, David DeCastro, and Maurkice Pouncey. Two making the top ten of this list with Pouncey on top at the #6 spot. Pouncey became the Next Great Steelers’ center™ and was so out of the box. He was an immediate, Day One starter, appearing in all 16 games in 2010. He thrived, making the first of what would be nine Pro Bowls. Since Chuck Noll arrived in 1969, Pouncey is the only Steelers’ rookie offensive lineman to make the Pro Bowl.
He was perfect in the middle with his toughness, leadership, and rare athleticism to move out in space. He was consistent, technical, and Ben Roethlisberger quickly developed all the trust in him. Pouncey would end his career by making six straight Pro Bowls, though perhaps he was benefitting from name recognition by the end. Injuries were the only issue in an otherwise stellar career, including a devastating knee/leg injury that developed a staph infection and required repeated surgeries. The fact Pouncey not only returned but came back as his usual self is remarkable.
While sack numbers are subjective and typically are lower for center, according to our charting, in a five-year span from 2016 to 2020 we charged Pouncey for just 4.5 sacks.
His Hall of Fame chances are borderline. The accolades are there and he was regarded as one of the top centers of his era. But ask Alan Faneca. The path to make it into Canton as an offensive lineman, unless you’re a no doubt type like Jonathan Odgen type, is tough to swing. Only a handful of true centers are even in the Hall of Fame and only one, Mick Tingelhoff (who entered as a veteran’s committee selection) has a lower Hall of Fame number than Pouncey’s. So I don’t think Pouncey will wear a gold jacket, though there is always the chance that in a “down” class and a convincing speech from whoever is representing Pittsburgh these days, he could get in. Put the odds around 33% over his first five years of eligibility. But Pouncey will be in the Steelers’ Hall of Honor and remembered alongside Webster and Dawson.
#5 Cam Heyward/DL Ohio State – Round 1, 31st Overall (2011)
The top five. Heyward could finish his career a spot or two higher than this because despite being 33, the dude still is playing in his prime and giving Pittsburgh his best football. Drafted as a long-term play in 2011, Heyward sat and learned behind Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel for his first two seasons, seeing limited and rotational snaps over that time. It led some to wonder if Heyward was the right pick and if he’d fall out of the league. How wrong they were.
Heyward has been in the starting lineup ever since 2013 and aged like a fine wine. His play has always been strong but he took things to another level in 2017, his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro season. He racked up a career-high 12 sacks that year and began establishing himself as one of the league’s best interior rushers. Pittsburgh changing his designation from DE to DT helped him earn some of those accolades, no longer competing with 4-3 pass rushing ends.
Over the last five years, Heyward has recorded 43 sacks with 99 QB hits. It’s earned him a Pro Bowl nod in all five of those seasons with two total All-Pro bids. He’s right up there with Aaron Donald for the league’s best interior rushers and arguably has the most potent bull/long-arm rushes in the game. He has a ridiculous work ethic, chases the ball with fanatical effort, and has become a leader and face of the franchise. Cam Heyward is what it means to be a Pittsburgh Steeler on and off the field. He still has a lot of great football ahead of him and will become the franchise’s leader in sacks by a defensive lineman, soon passing Joe Greene (77.5) and L.C. Greenwood (78). Heyward currently sits at 68 with a lot of life in his tires.
Joe Greene was the player who began the franchise’s turnaround and you can’t run out of good things to say about him. But when all is said and done, Heyward will challenge him as the greatest defensive lineman in team history. He’s that good.
#4 Antonio Brown/WR Central Michigan – Round 6, 195th Overall (2010)
Really wrestled with where to place Brown on this list. There’s zero question he was Colbert’s marquee “value” pick of all-time, drafting the league’s eventual best receiver deep into Day Three. Brown was easily on a Hall of Fame track, dazzling each year, each game, each drive, with sensational body control, hands, and the ability to burn defenses for big plays.
A wiry receiver out of CMU, Brown added weight and muscle and his strength was an underrated portion of his game. He burst on scene with moments like the helmet catch against Baltimore and heck, his first career NFL touch found the end zone, a kick return score against Tennessee. An omen of how the rest of his Steelers’ career would look.
2013 was his big breakout year, catching 110 passes for 1499 yards and eight scores. He would go on to twice lead the league in receptions (2014, 2015) and in yards (2014, 2017) while leading in touchdowns with 15 of them during the 2018 season. In a word, he was uncoverable, and defenses had to rotate coverage his way, allowing other receivers 1v1 chances. It made the whole offense work and Brown and Ben Roethlisberger developed incredibly chemistry. That doesn’t take into account the excellent return man Brown was. Though he was asked to play more conservatively in his later years, Brown still finished his career averaging 9.5 yards per punt return, third in team history of those with 70+ career attempts.
His 103 Steelers’ starts are easily the most of any sixth round pick in Colbert history. Only two others, Chris Kemoeatu (53) and Vince Williams (69) ever cracked double-digits. Colbert was hit or miss in the sixth round and oh yeah, Brown was a hit. AB finished his Steelers’ career with 837 receptions, 11,207 yards and 74 touchdowns, second-most across the board in team history.
Brown had the talent, the drive, the work ethic, and for years, not just a moment, he could do no wrong. He was the #1 receiver, everyone knew it, and no one could stop him.
And then…you know. The bottom fell out. Brown forced his way out of Pittsburgh in dizzying fashion, went to the Raiders, never played a snap for them, landed in New England, got cut after one game, went to Tampa Bay, did win a Super Bowl, but took off all his clothes and exited stage right late last year. An extremely very brief overview of all the craziness that’s happened over the past four years.
He went from surefire Hall of Famer to someone who is now the butt of every joke. His great career is almost forgotten at this point or just used in reference to note how far he’s fallen. His Canton chances have diminished and though he could still get in, it may take awhile. Of course, he’s still been in the league though he recently hinted at his retirement.
It’s incredible there’s a “what could have been” for someone who played nine years in Pittsburgh. But Brown could’ve done so much more, challenged Jerry Rice for the record books, and he threw it all away. The fact he didn’t set all the Steelers’ records is a shame. Kudos to Colbert for getting good value out of him, he picked up a third-round pick and all the Raiders got was a dumpster fire, but Brown dinging his HOF chances dings him on this list that gets very competitive at the top.
#3 TJ Watt/EDGE Wisconsin – Round 1, 30th Overall (2017)
Kevin Colbert got a bit of a reputation for not drafting well the back half of his career. Perhaps to an extent, that is true. But one of his greatest picks came towards the end of his tenure, taking TJ Watt at the end of the first round after nearly the rest of the league passed on him. Dallas infamously came close to selecting him but thought he wasn’t a good enough fit as a 4-3 end and took Taco Charlton instead. Oops.
Coming out, Watt was sort of a risk. Or at least an unknown. Recurring knee injuries and a position switch from TE to LB offered a small sample size to evaluate. But Watt quickly calmed any of those concerns. He started 15 games his rookie season, picking up seven sacks despite dropping into coverage 37% of the time.
Watt’s numbers shot up and Pittsburgh got wise and stopped dropping him into coverage. Since his sophomore year, Watt has put up double-digit sacks and increased his sack production year-by-year. 13 in 2018, 14.5 in 2019, 15 in 2020, and 22.5 in 2021. He’s led the league in sacks each of the last two seasons and finally earned his first DPOY Award this past season.
Watt has the rare combination of football IQ, work ethic, technician, and tremendous athlete. He can win in any way, in any situation, and is among the game’s clutchest players. He’s no pure pass rusher either and holds up well against the run. Offenses have done their best to slow him down but to no avail.
Through five years, Watt’s already picked up 72 sacks and he should easily break the franchise record this season, even counting the 70s teams, Joe Greene and the like, where sacks weren’t officially recorded by the league. Watt will best them all. Already a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, Watt is on an honest-to-goodness Hall of Fame path and could cement his status into Canton in just 2-3 years, before he even turns 30.
He’ll go down as one of the best defensive players, and frankly, just player overall, in team history. The scary thing? His best might not even be here yet. Setting the NFL single-season sack record is very much on the table this year. Upward mobility once you’re on the podium is hard but Watt could do it by career’s end. 27 years old and already the third best pick in Colbert history. Unbelievable.
#2 Ben Roethlisberger/QB Miami (OH) – Round 1, 11th Overall (2004)
I’m betting most of you expected Roethlisberger to be #1 on the list. That’d be the conventional, consensus pick. I’m going to explain why he isn’t at the end of this section. For now, let’s talk about what made him great.
Of course, you don’t need me to tell you what you already know. One-third of a historically good quarterback class, Roethlisberger was chosen after Eli Manning and Philip Rivers. He got his revenge by having the best career and going to three Super Bowls, winning two.
Not expected to play his rookie season, he was thrown into action following injuries to Charlie Batch and Tommy Maddox. Pittsburgh went on a historic run, winning every regular season game Roethlisberger started that year, finishing the season 15-1 (losing to Baltimore on the game Maddox went down and Roethlisberger debuted). Pittsburgh went all the way to the AFC Title Game before Rodney Harrison and the Patriots dashed the Steelers’ storybook dreams.
But Pittsburgh roared back in 2005, getting hot late in the season and becoming the first 6th seed in history to win a Super Bowl. The Steelers were still very much a run-and-play-defense type of team but Roethlisberger rose to the moment in the playoffs, throwing seven touchdowns to one interception in the leadup to the Super Bowl and of course, one crucial tackle against Nick Harper. There, his impact was less impressive, but he still found the end zone on a short rushing score.
Soon after, the team became Roethlisberger’s. The offense transformed from run-game heavy to letting Roethlisberger run the show. He did so beautifully with his patented Backyard Ben style, throwing off defenders, keeping the play alive, pump faking his way until he found the open man. It was risk/reward but it paid off more often than it failed. Roethlisberger was in full control of the team’s second Super Bowl run and led a vintage-Roethlisberger drive, capped off by one of the best plays in football history, a pinpoint pass in the corner of the end zone to Santonio Holmes. Hello, sixth Lombardi.
As he entered his 30s, he began to change his style. Years of sacks and hits began taking a toll on his body and he managed to move from scrambler to pocket passer, one of the few QBs to change the way he played and find immense success in both. Twice, he led the league in passing yards and though his touchdown numbers were never super gaudy, he was consistently a top five quarterback. Overshadowed by Tom Brady, sure, but in that next tier below. He was the face of the franchise, a leader, and his presence alone brought energy to the field. Pittsburgh drafted plenty of talented receivers, you’ve seen the list, but Roethlisberger helped make them great. And when he wasn’t on the field, the dropoff in quarterback play was painfully noticeable.
Roethlisberger rewrote just about every single Steelers’ passing record and sits Top Ten in plenty of league-wide stats: pass attempts, pass yard, touchdowns, and the current leader in sacks (Tom Brady should pass him in 2022). His 247 career starts are also most in team history.
He didn’t win four Super Bowls like Bradshaw but is still the best QB in team history. He’ll be a no-doubt, first-ballot Hall of Famer five years from now and is the central reason why Pittsburgh was consistently competitive.
So why isn’t he #1? Two reasons.
1. He was the “default” quarterback choice. Roethlisberger was one of the top three QBs in the class, joining Manning and Rivers but Pittsburgh didn’t have to make the tough choice of which one to take. The other two were gone and Roethlisberger was the last best option Hypothetically, had Pittsburgh had the foresight to draft Roethlisberger over one or both of those names, the pick would’ve been just a bit more impressive. Here, it was a pretty easy choice.
2. They almost didn’t draft him. Ok, they did select him and that’s all that really matters. But the front office seemed to have their heart set on OG Shawn Andrews instead until Dan Rooney stepped in and basically told the team to draft Roethlisberger. Again, I know he was the pick but this one felt a bit more the owner’s call – and thank God for it – than Colbert’s.
For those two hair-splitting reasons, Roethlisberger sits at #2.
#1 Troy Polamalu/SS USC – Round 1, 16th Overall (2003)
Troy Polamalu. Kevin Colbert’s greatest draft pick. Gold medal to match the gold jacket.
Before we get into Polamalu’s Hall of Fame career, let me explain what compelled me to put him into the top spot. There’s one aspect that separated him from the rest.
Kevin Colbert traded up to get him.
And I know there’s no way Pittsburgh clearly envisioned him as a generational player when they took him. But Colbert and the Steelers saw enough in him to be aggressive during the 2003 draft. Pittsburgh moved up from 27 to 16, the largest jump Colbert ever made in the first round to select him. Polamalu didn’t fall into his lap. That probably wasn’t going to happen. Colbert knew he was a great prospect and made that very clear on draft day. That’s what makes it a great pick. The #1 one.
After a difficult rookie season, Polamalu rebounded in 2004. He had a fantastic season, starting all 16 games, racking up 97 tackles and five interceptions. When healthy and playing, he was a menace all over the field. Tackles for loss, sacks, forced fumbles, interceptions, he was among football’s biggest game changers and made the absurd look routine. Quarterbacks never knew where he’d line up or end up, bouncing around from the line of scrimmage before flying to the deep middle of the field.
He had an incredible football IQ and predictive ability to know what would happen before it did, all thanks to his football study and sixth sense. He had range, hit power, there wasn’t one thing on the field he struggled with. And he came up large in big moments, none better than his pick six in the 2008 AFC Title game to punch the Steelers’ ticket to the Super Bowl. Polamalu made some of the most jaw-dropping plays fans have ever seen. His interception against the Chargers (and Eagles, nearly as impressive but far less discussed). His one-handed INT against the Titans, his falling tackle on Tatum Bell, all the times he leapt over/through the line of scrimmage. He even denied Pat McAfee his touchdown.
Polamalu was an eraser. He was a game-changer. He was a joy to watch, a player who left you in disbelief of so many how did he do that type moments. The greatest strong safety of his era.
Injuries were the only blemish on his otherwise perfect record. He played just five games in 2009 and only seven in 2012 while missing four in 2014, his final season. But no one’s going to remember that. They’ll remember this: eight Pro Bowls, four All-Pros, 2010 DPOY, and a first ballot Hall of Fame induction. Before the snap and off the field, he was quiet, respectable, mild-mannered. But when that ball was hiked, Polamalu transformed into the one guy you wanted to stay far away from. He is Kevin Colbert’s greatest draft picks and one of the best players to ever don the black and gold.
KEVIN COLBERT’S DRAFT RANKINGS
#176. Senquez Golson – Rd. 2
#175. Alonzo Jackson – Rd. 2
#174. Fred Gibson – Rd. 4
#173. Danny Farmer – Rd. 4
#172. Kraig Urbik – Rd. 3
#171. Bruce Davis – Rd. 3
#170. Artie Burns – Rd. 1
#169. Orien Harris – Rd. 4
#168. Alameda Ta’amu – Rd. 4 (Trade Up)
#167. Dri Archer – Rd. 3
#166. Limas Sweed – Rd. 2
#165. Thaddeus Gibson – Rd. 4
#164. Nathaniel Adibi – Rd. 5
#163. Willie Reid – Rd. 3
#162. Ricardo Colclough – Rd. 2
#161. Doran Grant – Rd. 4
#160. Tony Hills – Rd. 4
#159. Ryan McBean – Rd. 4
#158. Mathias Nkwenti – Rd. 4
#157. Jarvis Jones – Rd. 1
#156. Terry Hawthorne – Rd. 5
#155. Cameron Stephenson – Rd. 4
#154. Shaq Richardson – Rd. 5
#153. Charles Davis – Rd. 5
#152. Omar Jacobs – Rd. 5
#151. Wesley Johnson – Rd. 5
#150. Mike Adams – Rd. 2
#149. Joe Burnett – Rd. 4
#148. Sammie Coates – Rd. 3
#147. Colin Holba – Rd. 6
#146. Sutton Smith – Rd. 6
#145. Bo Lacy – Rd. 6
#144. Roger Knight – Rd. 6
#143. Mike Humpal – Rd. 6
#142. Jordan Zumwalt – Rd. 6
#141. Keith Williams – Rd. 6
#140. Drew Caylor – Rd. 6
#139. Marvin Philip – Rd. 6
#138. Jason Gavadza – Rd. 6
#137. Ra’Shon Harris – Rd. 6
#136. Quincy Roche – Rd. 6
#135. Travis Feeney – Rd. 6
#134. Chris Scott – Rd. 5
#133. Brian St. Pierre – Rd. 5
#132. Shamarko Thomas – Rd. 4 (Trade Up)
#131. Chris Rainey – Rd. 5
#130. Anthony Smith – Rd. 3
#129. Frank Summers – Rd. 5
#128. Devin Bush – Rd. 1 (Trade Up)
#127. Jerald Hawkins – Rd. 4
#126. Gerod Holliman – Rd. 7
#125. Eric Taylor – Rd. 7
#124. Lavar Glover – Rd. 7
#123. Chris Taylor – Rd. 7
#122. Nick Williams – Rd. 7
#121. AQ Shipley – Rd. 7
#120. Shaun Nua – Rd. 7
#119. Rob Blanchflower – Rd. 7
#118. Toney Clemons – Rd. 7
#117. Cedric Humes – Rd. 7
#116. Doug Worthington – Rd. 7
#115. JT Wall – Rd. 7
#114. Josh Frazier – Rd. 7
#113. Terence Frederick – Rd. 7
#112. Keion Adams – Rd. 7
#111. Derwin Gray – Rd. 7
#110. Crezdon Butler – Rd. 5
#109. Noah Herron – Rd. 7
#108. Tee Martin – Rd. 5
#107. Brian Allen – Rd. 5
#106. Chris Combs – Rd. 6
#105. Dallas Baker – Rd. 7
#104. Anthony McFarland – Rd. 4
#103. Antoine Brooks Jr. – Rd. 5
#102. Matt Kranchick – Rd. 6
#101. Curtis Brown – Rd. 3
#100. Chris Carter – Rd. 5
#99. Rian Wallace – Rd. 5
#98. Justin Brown – Rd. 5
#97. Kendrick Clancy – Rd. 3
#96. Demarcus Ayers – Rd. 7
#95. Baron Batch – Rd. 7
#94. Carlos Davis – Rd. 7
#93. Isaiah Buggs – Rd .6
#92. Josh Dobbs – Rd. 4
#91. David Paulson – Rd. 7
#90. Sean Spence – Rd. 3
#89. LT Walton – Rd. 6
#88. Buddy Johnson – Rd. 4
#87. Dennis Dixon – Rd. 5
#86. Hank Poteat – Rd. 3
#85. Daniel McCullers – Rd. 6
#84. Justin Layne – Rd. 3
#83. Ulysees Gilbert III – Rd. 6
#82. Marcus Allen – Rd. 5
#81. Chukky Okobi – Rd. 5
#80. Stevenson Sylvester – Rd. 5
#79. Lee Mays – Rd. 6
#78. Kendrick Green – Rd. 3
#77. Mason Rudolph – Rd. 3 (Trade Up)
#76. Pressley Harvin III – Rd. 7
#75. Isaiahh Loudermilk – Rd. 5 (Trade Up)
#74. Ryan Mundy – Rd. 6
#73. Zach Gentry – Rd. 5
#72. Tre Norwood – Rd. 7
#71. Rodney Bailey – Rd. 6
#70. Ziggy Hood – Rd. 1
#69. Jonathan Dwyer – Rd. 6
#68. Jaylen Samuels – Rd. 5
#67. Benny Snell – Rd. 4
#66. Dan Moore – Rd. 4
#65. Kevin Dotson – Rd. 3
#64. Landry Jones – Rd. 4
#63. Verron Haynes – Rd. 5
#62. Daniel Sepulevda – Rd. 4 (Trade Up)
#61. David Johnson – Rd. 7
#60. Trai Essex – Rd. 3
#59. Anthony Chickillo – Rd. 6
#58. James Washington – Rd. 2
#57. Markus Wheaton – Rd. 3
#56. Cortez Allen – Rd. 4
#55. Sean Davis – Rd. 2
#54. Keenan Lewis – Rd. 3
#53. Jesse James – Rd. 5
#52. Chukwuma Okorafor – Rd. 3
#51. Jason Worilds – Rd. 2
#50. Tyler Matakevich – Rd. 7
#49. Emmanuel Sanders – Rd. 3
#48. Rashard Mendenhall – Rd. 1
#47. Chris Kemoeatu – Rd. 6
#46. Chase Claypool – Rd. 2
#45. Matt Spaeth – Rd. 3
#44. Alex Highsmith – Rd. 3
#43. Terrell Edmunds – Rd. 1
#42. Pat Freiermuth – Rd. 2
#41. Kendrell Bell – Rd. 2
#40. Martavis Bryant – Rd. 4
#39. Willie Colon – Rd. 4
#38. James Conner – Rd. 3
#37. Cameron Sutton – Rd. 3
#36. Chris Hope – Rd. 3
#35. Bryant McFadden – Rd. 2
#34. Kelvin Beachum – Rd. 7
#33. Kendall Simmons – Rd. 1
#32. Najee Harris – Rd. 1
#31. Diontae Johnson – Rd. 3
#30. Bud Dupree – Rd. 1
#29. Plaxico Burress – Rd. 1
#28. JuJu Smith-Schuster – Rd. 2
#27. Marcus Gilbert – Rd. 2
#26. Clark Haggans – Rd. 5
#25. Vince Williams – Rd. 6
#24. William Gay – Rd. 5
#23. Ryan Shazier – Rd. 1
#22. Javon Hargrave – Rd. 3
#21. Mike Wallace – Rd. 3
#20. Antwaan Randle El – Rd. 2
#19. Max Starks – Rd. 3
#18. Larry Foote – Rd. 4
#17. Stephon Tuitt – Rd. 2
#16. Marvel Smith – Rd. 2
#15. Brett Keisel – Rd. 7
#14. LaMarr Woodley – Rd. 2
#13. Santonio Holmes – Rd. 1 (Trade Up)
#12. Le’Veon Bell – Rd. 2
#11. Lawrence Timmons – Rd. 1
#10. Ike Taylor – Rd. 4
#9. David DeCastro – Rd. 1
#8. Casey Hampton – Rd. 1 (Trade Down)
#7. Heath Miller – Rd. 1
#6. Maurkice Pouncey – Rd. 1
#5. Cam Heyward – Rd. 1
#4. Antonio Brown – Rd. 6
#3. TJ Watt – Rd. 1
#2. Ben Roethlisberger – Rd. 1
#1. Troy Polamalu – Rd. 1 (Trade Up)
