Steelers Once Made A Shocking Move To Draft A Wide Receiver After Mike Tomlin Laughed At Him

The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently in a spot where the team is kind of starving at the wide receiver position. DK Metcalf has been a decent addition, but he gets so much defensive attention that it hurts Pittsburgh's offense. That was not always the case for the Steelers as Pittsburgh had a plethora of efficient wide receivers during the 2010s. Everyone remembers Antonio Brown as he is widely considered one of the best wide receivers in the history of the NFL, but the other talent Pittsburgh had at the position was consistently some of the best in the league.

Brown was picked up by the organization in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, but he was not the first wide receiver Pittsburgh took during the event. That was Emmanuel Sanders, who Pittsburgh drafted in the third round out of SMU. Sanders only played out his rookie deal in Pittsburgh, but he was a pretty effective player during his time with the Steelers, as long as he was healthy. 

The former wide receiver sat down with myself, Brogan Noey of SteelerNation.com, and Sanders spoke on behalf of DraftKings. He was asked about whether or not he knew he would be landing in Pittsburgh after the draft.

"Nah, I didn't think I was going to go to the Steelers at all," Sanders said. "When I came on my official visit, matter of fact I was sitting with Mike Tomlin and I asked him, 'Why did you guys bring me here?' They had Hines Ward, Mike Wallace, Santonio Holmes, I mean they had a plethora of receivers. My little cocky a**, I go in like, 'Why did you bring me here?' Mike kind of looked at me, he laughed, and he moved on from that question."

Sanders was a talented wide receiver coming out of SMU, but Pittsburgh had a crowded receiver room at the time, and that was before the addition of Brown during that same draft. Hines Ward, Mike Wallace, Santonio Holmes, and Antwaan Randle El were all still on the roster. Sanders could not see a clear path to playing time, which had him confused as to why Pittsburgh was even interested in him.

Being drafted into Pittsburgh's wide receiver room back then would have been daunting just because of Ward alone, but the presence of Wallace and Holmes made it clear that finding playing time at the position was not going to be easy. Sanders wanted to go somewhere he could play, which is why he grilled Head Coach Mike Tomlin during his official visit during the pre-draft process. However, things all made sense very soon for Sanders.

"I remember, I had another visit set up," Sanders explained. "I was flying somewhere else, and on my way headed to the airport, they had traded Santonio Holmes to the Jets. So when that happened, I was like, 'Woah, alright, there might be a chance.'"

Pittsburgh trading Holmes definitely played a factor in the franchise drafting Sanders in the third round back in 2010, and then adding Brown as well in the sixth round. Holmes was dealt as he had some issues with the law and it was announced shortly before the deal that he was going to be suspended for four games. Pittsburgh received a fifth-round pick in the exchange, and the move was great for the organization in the long run.

Steelers Fans Always Saw The Talent In Emmanuel Sanders

Sanders did not have the best years of his career with the Steelers, but the talent was obvious. The wide receiver dealt with some injury issues throughout his time with the team, but he was still productive. Throughout his four-year career in Pittsburgh, he caught 161 passes for over 2,000 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he wound up signing with the Denver Broncos after his rookie deal expired. He won a Super Bowl in Denver while also being voted into the Pro Bowl twice.

What do you think of Sanders' story from his pre-draft process? Let us know in the comments below!

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