Pittsburgh Steelers
Draft Profile · 2006–2025 · 159 picks analyzed
Avg Value Over Expected
-0.4
Across 159 graded picks
Hit Rate
24%
Picks outperforming draft slot
Avg Pick Movement
+1 spots
Average redraft position change
Positional Drafting
▲WR21p
+177.4▼DB23p
-164.0Total value over expected
Draft Range Rank
▲Late 1st
4th▼Top 10
17thBest / worst rank vs. league
Draft Class Performance
Year-by-year draft class rank among all teams. Color reflects relative performance.
Early grade — career still developing
Draft Investment Returns
Each circle is a draft pick, sized by capital invested. Position shows value generated versus expectations.
Biggest Steals & Busts
Top 5 picks that most outperformed or underperformed their draft slot.
Biggest Steals
| Pick | Player | Value | Redraft | +/- | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antonio BrownTop Steal 2010 · WR · Central Michigan | 122.8 | #195→#2 | +112.7 | |
| Cameron HeywardTop Steal 2011 · DE · Ohio St. | 127.5 | #31→#2 | +84.4 | |
| T.J. WattTop Steal 2017 · LB · Wisconsin | 122.5 | #30→#3 | +78.8 | |
| James ConnerTop Steal 2017 · RB · Pittsburgh | 86.6 | #105→#14 | +66.7 | |
| Emmanuel SandersTop Steal 2010 · WR · SMU | 89.2 | #82→#15 | +64.2 |
Biggest Busts
| Pick | Player | Value | Redraft | +/- | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broderick JonesBust 2023 · OL · Georgia | 1.2 | #14→#168 | -51.9 | |
| Derrick HarmonBust 2025 · DT · Oregon | -2.5 | #21→#225 | -51.2 | |
| Limas SweedBust 2008 · WR · Texas | -1.3 | #53→#239 | -35.3 | |
| Troy FautanuBust 2024 · OL · Washington | 15.1 | #20→#60 | -34.2 | |
| Senquez GolsonBust 2015 · DB · Mississippi | 0.0 | #56→#213 | -33.0 |
Pick Range Performance
How Pittsburgh Steelers performs in each draft slot range compared to the league average.
Range
Picks
vs. League Avg
Rank
Complete Draft History
Every draft pick since 2006.
159 picks
Pick | Player | Rd | Year | Value | Diff | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
20257 picks-135.620th of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| Derrick HarmonEarly DT · Oregon | 1 | 2025 | -2.5 | -51.2 | 12 |
| Kaleb JohnsonEarly RB · Iowa | 3 | 2025 | -1.0 | -25.8 | 10 |
| Jack SawyerEarly DE · Ohio St. | 4 | 2025 | 0.4 | -17.2 | 17 |
| Yahya BlackEarly DT · Iowa | 5 | 2025 | -1.8 | -14.9 | 17 |
| Will HowardEarly QB · Ohio St. | 6 | 2025 | 0.0 | -10.9 | |
| Carson BruenerEarly LB · Washington | 7 | 2025 | 0.3 | -7.8 | 17 |
| Donte KentEarly DB · Central Michigan | 7 | 2025 | 0.0 | -7.9 | |
20247 picks-72.410th of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| Troy FautanuEarly OL · Washington | 1 | 2024 | 15.1 | -34.2 | 18 |
| Zach FrazierEarly Promise OL · West Virginia | 2 | 2024 | 46.1 | +11.4 | 32 |
| Roman WilsonEarly WR · Michigan | 3 | 2024 | 2.4 | -22.1 | 14 |
| Payton WilsonEarly LB · North Carolina St. | 3 | 2024 | 11.5 | -9.7 | 34 |
| Mason McCormickEarly Promise OL · South Dakota St. | 4 | 2024 | 24.2 | +6.2 | 34 |
| Logan LeeEarly DE · Iowa | 6 | 2024 | -1.5 | -13.1 | 7 |
| Ryan WattsEarly S · Texas | 6 | 2024 | -1.0 | -11.1 | |
20237 picks-48.811th of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| Broderick JonesLikely Bust OL · Georgia | 1 | 2023 | 1.2 | -51.9 | 45 |
| Joey Porter Jr. DB · Penn St. | 2 | 2023 | 17.6 | -25.0 | 47 |
| Keeanu Benton DT · Wisconsin | 2 | 2023 | 34.8 | -0.6 | 51 |
| Darnell Washington TE · Georgia | 3 | 2023 | 18.6 | -3.6 | 50 |
| Nick HerbigLikely Steal LB · Wisconsin | 4 | 2023 | 52.7 | +36.0 | 45 |
| Cory Trice DB · Purdue | 7 | 2023 | 8.9 | +1.4 | 6 |
| Spencer Anderson OL · Maryland | 7 | 2023 | 2.2 | -5.1 | 42 |
20227 picks-23.913th of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| Kenny Pickett QB · Pittsburgh | 1 | 2022 | 41.3 | -8.0 | 36 |
| George PickensTop Steal WR · Georgia | 2 | 2022 | 70.9 | +36.6 | 65 |
| DeMarvin Leal DT · Texas A&M | 3 | 2022 | -0.4 | -24.9 | 32 |
| Calvin Austin III WR · Memphis | 4 | 2022 | 5.6 | -10.5 | 48 |
| Connor Heyward TE · Michigan St. | 6 | 2022 | 7.6 | -1.5 | 68 |
| Mark Robinson LB · Mississippi | 7 | 2022 | 0.0 | -8.1 | 46 |
| Chris Oladokun QB · South Dakota St. | 7 | 2022 | 0.0 | -7.5 | 4 |
20219 picks-61.920th of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| Najee Harris RB · Alabama | 1 | 2021 | 42.7 | -4.2 | 71 |
| Pat Freiermuth TE · Penn St. | 2 | 2021 | 43.4 | +10.1 | 78 |
| Kendrick Green OL · Illinois | 3 | 2021 | -1.0 | -24.7 | 37 |
| Dan Moore OL · Texas A&M | 4 | 2021 | 23.6 | +6.5 | 82 |
| Buddy Johnson LB · Texas A&M | 4 | 2021 | 1.2 | -14.7 | 33 |
| Isaiahh Loudermilk DE · Wisconsin | 5 | 2021 | -2.5 | -16.5 | 60 |
| Quincy Roche DE · Miami (FL) | 6 | 2021 | 6.1 | -2.5 | 17 |
| Tre Norwood DB · Oklahoma | 7 | 2021 | -3.0 | -10.4 | 32 |
| Pressley Harvin III P · Georgia Tech | 7 | 2021 | 1.8 | -5.4 | 47 |
20206 picks+84.51st of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| Chase Claypool WR · Notre Dame | 2 | 2020 | 35.1 | -0.3 | 58 |
| Alex HighsmithTop Steal LB · Charlotte | 3 | 2020 | 83.0 | +62.6 | 90 |
| Anthony McFarland Jr. RB · Maryland | 4 | 2020 | 1.0 | -16.5 | 17 |
| Kevin DotsonTop Steal OL · Louisiana | 4 | 2020 | 71.2 | +54.8 | 84 |
| Antoine Brooks Jr. S · Maryland | 6 | 2020 | 1.6 | -8.2 | 12 |
| Carlos Davis DT · Nebraska | 7 | 2020 | -0.1 | -7.9 | 12 |
20199 picks-48.019th of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| Devin Bush Jr. LB · Michigan | 1 | 2019 | 61.6 | +5.8 | 98 |
| Diontae JohnsonSteal WR · Toledo | 3 | 2019 | 55.0 | +25.1 | 89 |
| Justin Layne DB · Michigan St. | 3 | 2019 | 0.8 | -24.0 | 52 |
| Benny Snell Jr. RB · Kentucky | 4 | 2019 | 6.4 | -11.3 | 63 |
| Zach Gentry TE · Michigan | 5 | 2019 | 1.7 | -14.1 | 41 |
| Sutton Smith DE · Northern Illinois | 6 | 2019 | -2.1 | -14.0 | 8 |
| Isaiah Buggs DT · Alabama | 6 | 2019 | 3.5 | -6.8 | 56 |
| Ulysees Gilbert LB · Akron | 6 | 2019 | 7.5 | -1.7 | 31 |
| Derwin Gray OL · Maryland | 7 | 2019 | 1.3 | -7.1 | 5 |
20187 picks-64.329th of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| Terrell Edmunds S · Virginia Tech | 1 | 2018 | 35.2 | -9.5 | 102 |
| James Washington WR · Oklahoma St. | 2 | 2018 | 21.6 | -10.2 | 62 |
| Mason Rudolph QB · Oklahoma St. | 3 | 2018 | 12.5 | -14.3 | 34 |
| Chukwuma Okorafor OL · Western Michigan | 3 | 2018 | 15.1 | -7.4 | 92 |
| Marcus Allen S · Penn St. | 5 | 2018 | 5.7 | -9.3 | 48 |
| Jaylen Samuels TE · North Carolina St. | 5 | 2018 | 6.8 | -6.2 | 45 |
| Joshua Frazier DT · Alabama | 7 | 2018 | -0.1 | -7.5 | |
20178 picks+156.12nd of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| T.J. WattTop Steal LB · Wisconsin | 1 | 2017 | 122.5 | +78.8 | 135 |
| JuJu Smith-SchusterSteal WR · USC | 2 | 2017 | 58.2 | +27.1 | 121 |
| Cameron Sutton DB · Tennessee | 3 | 2017 | 26.6 | +4.6 | 110 |
| James ConnerTop Steal RB · Pittsburgh | 3 | 2017 | 86.6 | +66.7 | 110 |
| Joshua Dobbs QB · Tennessee | 4 | 2017 | 15.5 | -0.9 | 27 |
| Brian Allen DB · Utah | 5 | 2017 | 4.5 | -7.6 | 20 |
| Colin Holba OL · Louisville | 6 | 2017 | 0.0 | -8.8 | 19 |
| Keion Adams LB · Western Michigan | 7 | 2017 | 3.5 | -3.8 | |
20167 picks-1.719th of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| Artie Burns DB · Miami (FL) | 1 | 2016 | 29.3 | -17.1 | 90 |
| Sean Davis DB · Maryland | 2 | 2016 | 18.2 | -14.2 | 70 |
| Javon HargraveTop Steal DT · South Carolina St. | 3 | 2016 | 78.4 | +55.2 | 146 |
| Jerald Hawkins OL · LSU | 4 | 2016 | 2.5 | -15.1 | 19 |
| Travis Feeney LB · Washington | 6 | 2016 | -1.2 | -9.6 | |
| Demarcus Ayers WR · Houston | 7 | 2016 | 0.0 | -7.9 | 2 |
| Tyler Matakevich LB · Temple | 7 | 2016 | 14.3 | +6.9 | 140 |
20158 picks-86.429th of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| Bud Dupree LB · Kentucky | 1 | 2015 | 40.2 | -7.9 | 152 |
| Senquez GolsonBust DB · Mississippi | 2 | 2015 | 0.0 | -33.0 | |
| Sammie Coates WR · Auburn | 3 | 2015 | 3.3 | -20.4 | 44 |
| Doran Grant DB · Ohio St. | 4 | 2015 | 13.2 | -4.6 | 3 |
| Jesse James TE · Penn St. | 5 | 2015 | 14.3 | +0.8 | 104 |
| Leterrius Walton DT · Central Michigan | 6 | 2015 | -2.5 | -12.3 | 36 |
| Anthony Chickillo DE · Miami (FL) | 6 | 2015 | 8.3 | -0.5 | 76 |
| Gerod Holliman S · Louisville | 7 | 2015 | -0.9 | -8.5 | |
20149 picks-13.721st of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| Ryan Shazier LB · Ohio St. | 1 | 2014 | 39.9 | -12.5 | 46 |
| Stephon TuittSteal DE · Notre Dame | 2 | 2014 | 61.4 | +25.0 | 91 |
| Dri Archer WR · Kent St. | 3 | 2014 | 2.0 | -19.4 | 20 |
| Martavis Bryant WR · Clemson | 4 | 2014 | 37.7 | +19.6 | 44 |
| Shaquille Richardson DB · Arizona | 5 | 2014 | -0.4 | -14.3 | |
| Wesley Johnson OL · Vanderbilt | 5 | 2014 | 13.2 | +1.1 | 51 |
| Jordan Zumwalt LB · UCLA | 6 | 2014 | 2.0 | -8.3 | |
| Daniel McCullers DT · Tennessee | 6 | 2014 | 13.0 | +4.3 | 76 |
| Rob Blanchflower TE · Massachusetts | 7 | 2014 | -1.3 | -9.2 | |
20139 picks+1.616th of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| Jarvis Jones LB · Georgia | 1 | 2013 | 28.0 | -23.1 | 50 |
| Le'Veon BellTop Steal RB · Michigan St. | 2 | 2013 | 72.4 | +36.7 | 96 |
| Markus Wheaton WR · Oregon St. | 3 | 2013 | 27.6 | +1.7 | 59 |
| Shamarko Thomas DB · Syracuse | 4 | 2013 | 10.8 | -8.2 | 66 |
| Landry Jones QB · Oklahoma | 4 | 2013 | -1.5 | -19.9 | 18 |
| Terry Hawthorne DB · Illinois | 5 | 2013 | 0.4 | -14.4 | |
| Justin Brown WR · Oklahoma | 6 | 2013 | -2.3 | -13.1 | 8 |
| Vince WilliamsTop Steal LB · Florida St. | 6 | 2013 | 40.3 | +31.1 | 121 |
| Nick Williams DT · Samford | 7 | 2013 | 19.1 | +10.9 | 97 |
20129 picks+16.916th of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| David DeCastroTop Steal OL · Stanford | 1 | 2012 | 95.7 | +48.8 | 125 |
| Mike Adams OL · Ohio St. | 2 | 2012 | 11.8 | -21.2 | 53 |
| Sean Spence LB · Miami (FL) | 3 | 2012 | 8.3 | -15.7 | 53 |
| Alameda Ta'amu DT · Washington | 4 | 2012 | 5.9 | -13.3 | 21 |
| Chris Rainey RB · Florida | 5 | 2012 | -0.9 | -14.6 | 18 |
| Toney Clemons WR · Colorado | 7 | 2012 | -1.2 | -9.1 | 4 |
| David Paulson TE · Oregon | 7 | 2012 | -2.0 | -9.5 | 32 |
| Terrence Frederick DB · Texas A&M | 7 | 2012 | 0.0 | -7.4 | 5 |
| Kelvin BeachumTop Steal OL · SMU | 7 | 2012 | 66.2 | +58.9 | 196 |
20117 picks+77.45th of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| Cameron HeywardTop Steal DE · Ohio St. | 1 | 2011 | 127.5 | +84.4 | 228 |
| Marcus GilbertTop Steal OL · Florida | 2 | 2011 | 60.7 | +29.9 | 88 |
| Curtis Brown DB · Texas | 3 | 2011 | -1.2 | -23.0 | 34 |
| Cortez Allen DB · The Citadel | 4 | 2011 | 29.5 | +12.4 | 56 |
| Chris Carter LB · Fresno St. | 5 | 2011 | 5.2 | -8.1 | 75 |
| Keith Williams OL · Nebraska | 6 | 2011 | 0.0 | -10.0 | 2 |
| Baron Batch RB · Texas Tech | 7 | 2011 | -0.3 | -8.1 | 12 |
201010 picks+143.33rd of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| Maurkice PounceySteal OL · Florida | 1 | 2010 | 74.9 | +24.4 | 134 |
| Jason Worilds DE · Virginia Tech | 2 | 2010 | 26.2 | -8.1 | 73 |
| Emmanuel SandersTop Steal WR · SMU | 3 | 2010 | 89.2 | +64.2 | 172 |
| Thaddeus Gibson DE · Ohio St. | 4 | 2010 | -1.1 | -19.4 | 4 |
| Chris Scott OL · Tennessee | 5 | 2010 | 12.6 | -2.0 | 45 |
| Crezdon Butler DB · Clemson | 5 | 2010 | 0.8 | -12.3 | 46 |
| Stevenson Sylvester LB · Utah | 5 | 2010 | 3.3 | -9.5 | 50 |
| Jonathan Dwyer RB · Georgia Tech | 6 | 2010 | 12.1 | +1.4 | 38 |
| Antonio BrownTop Steal WR · Central Michigan | 6 | 2010 | 122.8 | +112.7 | 146 |
| Doug Worthington DT · Ohio St. | 7 | 2010 | -0.5 | -8.0 | 8 |
20099 picks+54.18th of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| Evander Hood DE · Missouri | 1 | 2009 | 19.4 | -23.2 | 142 |
| Kraig UrbikSteal OL · Wisconsin | 3 | 2009 | 49.7 | +23.8 | 100 |
| Mike WallaceTop Steal WR · Mississippi | 3 | 2009 | 64.8 | +40.3 | 144 |
| Keenan Lewis DB · Oregon St. | 3 | 2009 | 23.8 | +2.2 | 83 |
| Joe Burnett DB · Central Florida | 5 | 2009 | -1.2 | -13.8 | 15 |
| Frank Summers RB · UNLV | 5 | 2009 | 2.9 | -9.6 | 27 |
| Ra'Shon Harris DT · Oregon | 6 | 2009 | -1.0 | -10.3 | 2 |
| A.Q. ShipleyTop Steal OL · Penn St. | 7 | 2009 | 41.1 | +33.0 | 110 |
| David Johnson TE · Arkansas St. | 7 | 2009 | 19.2 | +11.7 | 98 |
20087 picks-81.029th of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| Rashard Mendenhall RB · Illinois | 1 | 2008 | 47.2 | -0.3 | 72 |
| Limas SweedBust WR · Texas | 2 | 2008 | -1.3 | -35.3 | 20 |
| Bruce Davis LB · UCLA | 3 | 2008 | 0.0 | -23.4 | 15 |
| Tony Hills OL · Texas | 4 | 2008 | 0.9 | -16.0 | 32 |
| Dennis Dixon QB · Oregon | 5 | 2008 | -1.6 | -15.6 | 4 |
| Mike Humpal LB · Iowa | 6 | 2008 | 0.0 | -10.7 | |
| Ryan Mundy DB · West Virginia | 6 | 2008 | 30.5 | +20.3 | 96 |
20078 picks+67.06th of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| Lawrence TimmonsTop Steal LB · Florida St. | 1 | 2007 | 86.3 | +33.9 | 172 |
| LaMarr WoodleyTop Steal DE · Michigan | 2 | 2007 | 77.7 | +41.3 | 110 |
| Matt Spaeth TE · Minnesota | 3 | 2007 | 25.9 | -0.6 | 123 |
| Daniel Sepulveda P · Baylor | 4 | 2007 | 3.1 | -15.7 | 52 |
| Ryan McBean DT · Oklahoma St. | 4 | 2007 | -3.7 | -20.4 | 47 |
| Cameron Stephenson OL · Rutgers | 5 | 2007 | 0.0 | -14.0 | |
| William GayTop Steal DB · Louisville | 5 | 2007 | 63.7 | +51.3 | 176 |
| Dallas Baker WR · Florida | 7 | 2007 | -0.7 | -8.7 | 8 |
20069 picks-20.119th of 32 View draft → | ||||||
| Santonio HolmesTop Steal WR · Ohio St. | 1 | 2006 | 74.6 | +28.2 | 112 |
| Anthony Smith DB · Syracuse | 3 | 2006 | 5.6 | -19.2 | 76 |
| Willie Reid WR · Florida St. | 3 | 2006 | 0.6 | -21.2 | 7 |
| Willie ColonTop Steal OL · Hofstra | 4 | 2006 | 67.9 | +51.1 | 100 |
| Orien Harris DT · Miami (FL) | 4 | 2006 | 0.5 | -16.1 | 20 |
| Omar Jacobs QB · Bowling Green | 5 | 2006 | 0.0 | -13.1 | |
| Charles Davis TE · Purdue | 5 | 2006 | 0.0 | -12.7 | |
| Marvin Philip OL · California | 6 | 2006 | 0.0 | -9.6 | |
| Cedric Humes RB · Virginia Tech | 7 | 2006 | 0.0 | -7.5 | |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the Pittsburgh Steelers's draft history.
Who is the best draft pick in Pittsburgh Steelers history?
Antonio Brown (WR), drafted #195 overall in 2010, is the Pittsburgh Steelers's best value pick with +113 points over expected. In a redraft, Antonio Brown would go #2 overall.
Who is the biggest draft bust in Pittsburgh Steelers history?
Broderick Jones (OL), picked #14 in 2023, underperformed by 52 points vs. expected. Redraft value places Broderick Jones at #168 overall.
How well do the Pittsburgh Steelers draft?
From 2006–2025, the Pittsburgh Steelers average -0.4 value over expected per pick across 159 graded selections. 24% of their picks outperform their draft slot.
What was the Pittsburgh Steelers's best draft class?
The 2020 class ranks 1st among all teams that year, with 6 picks averaging +14.1 value over expected.
How many draft steals and busts have the Pittsburgh Steelers had?
Since 2006, the Pittsburgh Steelers have found 27 draft steals and had 17 busts or significant disappointments out of 159 graded picks.
