Pittsburgh Steelers

Who have been the best Steelers draft picks? Channel 11 Sports ranks the top 11

PITTSBURGH — The NFL Draft starts this Thursday and things are a lot different this year. Instead of the fanfare and room full of coaches, hopefuls and fans in Las Vegas – the entire draft will be held remotely.

The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t have a pick until the second round, which is on Friday. The team traded its number one pick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick.

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Channel 11 Sports compiled a list of their top 11 Steelers draft picks:

2010 NFL Draft

Maurkice Pouncey

This eight-time Pro Bowl and two-time All Pro Center was selected in the first round by the Steelers. He was one of the best linemen in the country coming out of high school and ultimately chose the University of Florida to continue his career. He played alongside his brother, Mike Pouncey, as well as Aaron Hernandez, Major Wright, Joe Haden, Carlos Dunlap, Janoris Jenkins, Justin Williams, Marcus Gilbert, Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin. The majority of those players have also gone on to have some measure of NFL success. Steelers fans might most recently remember his role in the brawl at the end of a November 2019 game with the Cleveland Browns where he stepped up to defend QB Mason Rudolph during a brawl.

PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 30: Maurkice Pouncey #53 of the Pittsburgh Steelers warms up before his game against the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field on December 30, 2012 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Karl Walter/Getty Images)

Antonio Brown

The name might bring mixed emotions, but his stats and play on the field made him one of the best wide receivers in the NFL before legal issues put him on the sideline. Brown saw state accolades as a football star and as a track and field athlete in high school. He played a season at North Carolina Tech Prep before heading to Central Michigan as a walk-on freshman. He was projected by scouts as a fifth or sixth round draft pick and was ultimately chosen by the Steelers in the sixth. His early years with the Steelers saw him playing alongside Hines Ward, Mike Wallace and Antwaan Randle El. Season after season, he worked his way up the depth charts before becoming a favorite target of Ben Roethlisberger and a feared pass catcher for his speed and route running ability. Brown was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and a four-time All Pro player.

2011 NFL Draft

Cam Heyward

Stopping up the center of the new, revamped Steelers defense is Cam Heyward. He was chosen in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft and played alongside Brett Keisel, Aaron Smith and Ziggy Hood on the defensive line. He was a Georgia Defensive Player of the Year in high school and was a 2010 Rose Bowl champion with college powerhouse Ohio State University. In the NFL, Heyward has been a three time Pro Bowl pick and a two time First Team All Pro. He has tallied 54 sacks and 257 tackles since he joined the Steelers.

PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 10: Jared Goff #16 of the Los Angeles Rams is sacked by Cameron Heyward #97 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first quarter at Heinz Field on November 10, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)

2012 NFL Draft

David DeCastro

Another first round selection, David DeCastro played college football at Stanford University, earning unanimous All-American honors there. He was considered one of the best guard prospects in the 2012 Draft. As a Steeler, DeCastro has been a five-time Pro Bowl selection, a two-time First Team All Pro and a Second Team All Pro. He’s started nearly every of the 112 games in which he’s played.

2013 NFL Draft

Le’Veon Bell

Another name that divides Steelers fans is Le’Veon Bell. Bell played at Michigan State before entering the 2013 draft. Scouts projected him to go in the second or third rounds and he was ranked the fifth best running back that year, taken only after Giovanni Bernard. As a Steeler, Bell was a three time Pro Bowl selection, two time First Team All Pro, Second Team All Pro and was voted several seasons in a row among the NFL’s Top 100 players. Bell was also known for having a different running style than was normal. Instead of sprinting at the hole created by blockers as fast as possible, he waited for it to open up and then accelerated. As a Steeler, he compiled 1,229 attempts, 5,336 yards, 35 touchdowns and 312 receptions.

2014 NFL Draft

Ryan Shazier

Shazier played football at Ohio State under head coach Urban Meyer. He was ranked as the third-best outside linebacker by scouts ahead of the draft. He was chosen 15th overall by the Steelers in the draft and quickly started having an impact due to this speed. Before he suffered a spinal injury against the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 4, 2017, Shazier put up 299 tackles, seven interceptions and three fumble recoveries. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection as well.

2015 NFL Draft

Bud Dupree

Bud Dupree was another first round pick by he Pittsburgh Steelers, taken 22nd overall in the 2015 draft. He played college football at the University of Kentucky where he earned First Team All SEC his senior year. As a Steeler, Dupree has tallied 200 tackles, 31.5 sacks, an interception, a touchdown, six forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. After the 2019 season, the Steelers placed the franchise tag on Dupree, who with T.J. Watt, has created a formidable defensive front.

PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 28: Bud Dupree #48 of the Pittsburgh Steelers attempts to pump up the crowd in the second half during the game against the Miami Dolphins at Heinz Field on October 28, 2019. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)

2017 NFL Draft

T.J. Watt

Arguably one of the best players on the team and a candidate for the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, T.J. Watt has emerged as a monster at outside linebacker. He played football for the University of Wisconsin where he earned a Second-Team All American award. Sixty-five team representatives and scouts showed up to watch his pro day workouts, including then-Steelers linebackers coach Joey Porter and New York Jets’ outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene. The pair led Watt’s workouts that day. He was drafted in the first round by the Steelers. He’s put up 177 tackles, 34.5 sacks, three interceptions and four fumble recoveries. Watt was a two-time Pro Bowl pick as well as earning First-Team All Pro.

OLB T.J. Watt emerges from the tunnel at Heinz Field against the Miami Dolphins.

 

Juju Smith-Schuster

Among the fan favorites, wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster was a great counterpart with Antonio Brown. Coming off a disappointing 2019 campaign, Smith-Schuster is still ranking among one of the best recent draft picks. He played football at the University of Southern California where he was a Rose Bowl champion his junior year. Smith-Schuster was ranked as the fourth-best wide receiver in the 2017 draft and was ultimately taken in the second round by the Steelers. Since becoming a part of the black and gold, he’s put up 211 receptions 2,895 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was also selected to a Pro Bowl.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (19) celebrates a first down against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

James Conner

He’s a local guy. He’s battled cancer. He played for a local college. James Conner’s story almost matches just how beloved a player he is to many Steelers fans. Conner hails from Erie, Pennsylvania, and played for the University of Pittsburgh. He was a First Team All American was the 2014 ACC Player of the Year at Pitt. The Steelers selected him in the third round of the 2017 draft. As a Steeler, Conner has run for 1,581 yards on 363 attempts and put up 16 touchdowns. He was also selected to Pro Bowl, too.

FILE - In this Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018, file photo, Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner (30) breaks away from Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) for a touchdown in the second half of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh. Conner is thriving in Le’Veon Bell's absence. He’s second in the league in total yards and is the first player in team history to have 10 total touchdowns through eight games. (AP Photo/Don Wright, File)

2019 NFL Draft

Devin Bush

A true rookie, the Steelers traded up for someone they wanted to have an immediate impact on defense -- and Devin Bush stepped up in a major way coming right out of college and the 2019 NFL Draft. Bush played for the University of Michigan where he had a reputation as the hardest hitter on the team. Bush was voted captain in 2018 and was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Big Ten Linebacker of the Year and an All-American among other awards. He was taken 10th overall by the Steelers in exchange for a first round pick, second round pick and a 2020 third round pick. As a Steeler, Bush made 109 tackles, one sack, two interceptions, four fumble recoveries and scored a touchdown.