For the most part, the NFL draft has gone well for the Pittsburgh Steelers under general manager Kevin Colbert. But not everything went smoothly and there were several head-scratchers among the choices.
Here are three of the biggest misses under Colbert and the picks we would most love a do-over on.
2009-LeSean McCoy over Ziggy Hood
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Defensive lineman Ziggy Hood wasn’t a bad player. But his impact was never significant. Meanwhile, local hero, running back LeSean McCoy was largely considered the best player on the board at that point despite his slide to the second round. McCoy and Rashard Mendenhall on a Steelers team that loved to run the football would have been unstoppable.
2013-A long list over Jarvis Jones
(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Jarvis Jones will likely go down as the worst first-round pick of the Kevin Colbert era. Most draft pundits called this pick out as a reach from the second it happened and this proved to be the case almost immediately. As for who the Steelers should have taken, you can take your pick. Offensive guard Kyle Long, cornerbacks Desmond Trufant and Xavier Rhodes were all taken after Jones as well as wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Emmanuel Sanders left the Steelers after the 2013 season, so it would have been Antonio Brown and Hopkins at receiver for the Steelers.
2016-Chris Jones over Artie Burns
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
The Steelers pass rush was in a serious funk in 2016. Linebacker James Harrison led the team with only five sacks. Drafting Artie Burns was a mistake from the moment the pick happened as he was never a good scheme fit. But Chris Jones would have given Pittsburgh the boost as an interior pass rusher they needed.
2018-Lamar Jackson over Terrell Edmunds
Caitlyn Epes / Pittsburgh Steelers
The ultimate no-brainer pick here. Pittsburgh drafted Edmunds at least a round too early with Jackson just sitting there on the board. In the meantime, Edmunds is not getting his fifth-year option and Jackson has been a league MVP. Depending on how the Steelers handle the QB position next season once Ben Roethlisberger is gone, this pick could haunt Pittsburgh for decades.
1
1