Led by former general manager, Kevin Colbert, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been known as one of the better drafting teams in the NFL over the years. This was especially true in setting up their dominant defense of the 2000's. Beyond that, their success of selecting wide receivers is well-known around the league.
Credit: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
PFF's Mike Renner ranked the top 10 draft classes since 2006, and the Steelers made an appearance at No. 7. That is, the 2010 draft class, headlined by two staples of the Steelers success in the 2010's. The 2010 class epitomized Pittsburgh's success in their wide receiver selections.
The Top-10 NFL Draft classes since 2006, per @PFF_Mike pic.twitter.com/T0a7V8cwC1
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Maurkice Pouncey began the legendary '10 class with the 18th overall selection. Before his retirement, he was a nine-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro honoree, and selected to the All-2010's Team. The best player from the class, and one of the better late-round steals of all-time, Antonio Brown made seven Pro Bowls, four All-Pro teams, as well as making the All-2010's Team like Pouncey.
Those two players became Steelers all-time greats in one of the more storied franchises in football. Beyond those two, Jason Worilds, the team's second round pick in the draft, played 73 games in five years. He logged 25.5 career sacks and seemed to be trending upwards, but retired abruptly at age 27. As NFL Network's Ian Rapaport reported at the time, Worilds turned down over $7 million per year, to retire.
Steelers linebacker, Jason Worilds, has a discussion with head coach Mike Tomlin. Credit: Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports
While the middle of the team's draft class included some failures, including fourth rounder Thaddeus Gibson who played in just four career games, Emmanuel Sanders was another effective pick. The Steelers were unable to retain him when his rookie deal was up, as the team opted to keep Brown instead. Sanders was able to get a good amount of money from the Denver Broncos, and he has gone on to have quite the NFL career.
Elsewhere on the list, Renner had the New Orleans Saints 2017 draft class as No. 1. It may be too early to tell in terms of where it ranks with all-time classes, but they seemed to hit the nail on the head with five picks. Their first four picks, in order, were Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, Marcus Williams, and star running back, Alvin Kamara. Those guys are all premier players at their respective positions in today's NFL, and they even added to it with DE Trey Hendrickson in the third round.
Steelers or Seahawks for best 2010 draft class?
If you noticed from the list, the Steelers weren't even ranked as the best draft class from 2010. The Seattle Seahawks took that honor, as their class in 2010 featured elite safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, as well as OT Russell Okung and WR Golden Tate. The Seahawks really had perhaps the most legendary three-year run in terms of draft classes, which helped set up their Legion of Boom defenses.
Where do you guys think the 2010 draft class ranks in terms of all-time Steelers classes? Should it have been higher than No. 7 on this list? Will Pouncey and Brown both become Hall of Famers? Let us know your thoughts, and give some memories from the 2010 Steelers draft class!
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