Pittsburgh Steelers: Top 5 draft picks from the 2010’s
By David Glancy
Who are the Pittsburgh Steelers’ best draft picks of the 2010s?
The 2020 NFL Draft took place almost two months ago. Training camp would be weeks away, but with the logistics of the 2020 NFL season still up in the air, there isn’t much news circulating the Pittsburgh Steelers these days. That could be a good thing. The last 18 months for the Steelers have been rocky, to say the least.
Le’Veon Bell held out the entire 2018 season which ended in disappointment after the Steelers fell just short of the playoffs, despite having one of the most talented rosters in the league.
Antonio Brown imploded during the last week of the season which dragged out until early March of that offseason when Brown was traded to Oakland. That ended the Brown drama, at least for the Steelers. With all the distractions surrounding the team no longer in Pittsburgh, the Steelers looked to return to the playoffs after ending a streak of four consecutive appearances.
Unfortunately, the Steelers’ 2019 season got off to a rocky start. After a 30 point blowout loss in New England to start the season, the Steelers lost Ben Roethlisberger in a week 2 loss against the Seahawks. Despite losing Roethlisberger and an 0-3 start, the Steelers rallied behind one of the league’s top defenses, finding themselves with an 8-5 record and a wildcard spot within their grasp.
The Steelers would go on to lose their final three games of the 2019 season, ending a decade that began with much promise. The Pittsburgh Steelers started the decade with a Super Bowl loss against the Green Bay Packers and failed to return to the title game. Despite a second straight 12-4 season in 2011, the Steelers finished second in the AFC North and lost a Wild Card game in overtime to the Broncos.
After consecutive 8-8 seasons in 2012 and 2013, the Steelers would go on to make a playoff appearance from 2014-2017 but never got further than their 2016/2017 AFC Championship game loss against the Patriots.
The past decade saw some of the most talented players in Pittsburgh Steeler history and some of the most lethal offenses.
The Steelers continued to build from within, capitalizing on first and second-round picks. Maurkice Pouncey, Cameron Heyward, David DeCastro, Ryan Shazier, and T.J. Watt have all played in multiple Pro Bowls. Bud Dupree has turned into a threat opposite of Watt, while Terrell Edmunds starts at safety and 2019 first-rounder Devin Bush looks to build off a strong rookie campaign.
With another strong decade of roster building, we have ranked Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin’s top picks from the 2010s.