By G.Stryker
SteelerNation.com
There are drafts when the Pittsburgh Steelers move, make trades, and acquire players. There are also times when they just barely miss out on players due to the moves of other teams. As we revisit different Steelers drafts, we will take a look inside into what made those moments both special and memorable.
The Steelers had a very good draft in 2010; grabbing All Pro center Maurkice Pouncey in the first round, following it up with a skilled outside linebacker in Jason Worlids in the 2nd, and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders in the 3rd. You could have called it a day and phoned in the rest of the draft after those three alone. Our story however is not about the top of the draft. It’s about what happened much later, and started a year earlier.
Wide receiver Santonio Holmes' welcome had finally run thin in Pittsburgh. Just a year removed from his Super Bowl MVP performance, Santonio’s next season would be marred by police reports and a drug suspension. Rather than wait out his four-game suspension to start 2010, the Steelers elected to trade Holmes to the New York Jets before the draft for a 5th round pick. The Steelers would take that 5th rounder and trade it to the Arizona Cardinals for cornerback Bryant McFadden and a 6th round pick. A pick that is remembered for being legendary.
After already selecting Sanders earlier in this draft, wide receiver wasn’t a priority, but the Steelers double dipped and this time, they got the cream of the crop of receiving talent in this draft. While the Cardinals selected quarterback John Skelton with their pick, a round later, the Steelers would pick up wide receiver Antonio Brown from Central Michigan. Brown would go on to amass a stellar nine-year career in Pittsburgh, being named to seven Pro Bowls and six All Pro teams, while leading the league in receptions twice, yardage twice, and touchdowns once. Off the field, the guy is a circus. On the field, he is a generational talent that elevated what it was to be a wide receiver in the NFL.
I am not happy with the way things ended in Pittsburgh for Antonio, but I do have a lot of fond memories of watching him make play after play, to help his team win football games. He may never play another down in the NFL, but I am fortunate that the Steelers took a flyer on a small school receiver in the 6th round, and for nine wonderful years, we got to see what Brown could do on a football field.
Knowing everything you know about Antonio Brown, would you pick him up in the 6th round? Leave your thoughts below.
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