In “quirky offseason lists to pass the time,” we can appreciate that ESPN ranked the best draft pick at every individual number in NFL history. Ben Solak underwent the tedious task of comparing resumes from No. 1 to No. 262. No surprise, several of the most famous, and some less so, Steelers’ draft picks made the list.
The first to appear on the list was DL Cam Heyward at No. 31 overall. Dubbed the greatest pick at that slot, Heyward was the Steelers’ first-round pick in 2011, one year after falling to the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl. A classic 3-4 defensive end, Heyward is one of the few remaining players from the class and has become an icon of the Steelers’ franchise. With a bounce-back 2024, his resume has tilted into Hall of Fame worthy, and he remains a top interior defender in the game.
“Heyward is approaching his 15th season with the Steelers, is a Walter Payton Man of the Year and should go down as one of the best Steelers of all time — an incredibly tough list to make,” Solak wrote.
An accurate summation of Heyward’s career, beating out Hall of Fame DL Curley Culp.
Here’s the list of players who were Steelers for some or all of their careers.
No. 31 – DL Cam Heyward
No. 34 – LB Jack Ham
No. 44 – C Dirt Dawson
No. 46 – LB Jack Lambert
No. 53 – CB Mel Blount
No. 92 – WR Hines Ward
No. 104 – DL Dwight White
No. 113 – EDGE Kevin Greene
No. 122 – LB Hardy Nickerson
No. 125 – C Mike Webster
No. 128 – ILB Larry Foote
No. 150 – EDGE Greg Lloyd
No. 195 – WR Antonio Brown
No. 238 – DL L.C. Greenwood
No. 248 – OT Kelvin Beachum
No. 258 – ILB Jerry Olsavsky
Most picks didn’t come with an explanation, as Solak listed out most picks past the first round. Blount at No. 53 did, and though he was the selection, it was apparently close. He wrote that Blount was “fending off” WR Davante Adams and QB Jalen Hurts, and Blount could be replaced in a future list. Adams and Hurts are excellent modern-era players, but neither comes close to Blount’s resume. Blount was a first-ballot Hall of Famer and remains one of the greatest cornerbacks in history. Adams and Hurts don’t rank anywhere near that at their respective positions.
While some selections are obvious, seeing Nickerson, Foote, Beachum, and Olsavsky is interesting. With fewer standout players at those positions, all four made the cut. Nickerson only played the front half of his career in Pittsburgh, while Beachum remains in the NFL and hasn’t played for Pittsburgh since 2015. Olsavsky went from a tenth-round pick to playing in 108 games for Pittsburgh from 1989 to 1997.
Two other players who spent a brief time with the Steelers also made the list. QB Russell Wilson with the 75th overall pick and WR Terance Mathis at No. 140. Wilson spent most of his career with the Seattle Seahawks but played for Pittsburgh in 2024. He signed with the New York Giants earlier in the offseason. Mathis was a blip on the Steelers’ radar, spending his final NFL season with the team in 2002. He caught just 23 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns.
The top No. 1 overall pick, sure to be of fierce debate, was QB Peyton Manning. He beat out QBs John Elway, Terry Bradshaw, and everyone else. LB Lawrence Taylor, RB Barry Sanders, RB Walter Payton, and CB Deion Sanders rounded out the top five.
