Steelers fans like to brag about our pipeline of WR talent. Far be it for me to rain on anyone’s parade (lord knows I love a parade) but some of yinz could use a cold shower.
I charted the Steelers top-three draft picks for the past decade. Seven of those 30 players were WR’s (no, I didn’t count Dri Archer); that’s as many as the other three offensive skill positions, combined.
We need to stop with this narrative that Mike Tomlin & Co. miraculously find these diamond in the rough receivers. The Steelers aren’t bippity-boppity-boo’ing these guys from thin air, they’re investing more highly at the receiver position than any other position on the field.
I know what you’re thinking: “Well they suck at drafting DB’s, and they draft just about as many of those…” I know you want to throw Senquez Golson and Artie Burns at me; I’ll volley back with Sammie Coates and Markus Wheaton. Also Golson’s career never got off the ground due to injury; kind of a cheap shot for you to bring him up.
Cam Sutton is a success, as is Terrell Edmunds. Sean Davis got a second contract with the Steelers, and even Artie Burns has turned his career around in Seattle. If you go back a little further this is the same team that drafted Troy Polamalu, Ike Taylor and Bryant McFadden. Also Limas Sweed.
Once you get out the slide rules and the pocket protectors, the Steelers are neither as good at drafting WR’s – nor as bad at drafting DB’s – as the Hardo fans would have you believe.
Steely Cam 