In this retrospective series, we'll use 20/20 hindsight to play General Manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers to review past drafts - focusing primarily on top 2-3 selections - and personnel decisions year-by-year and redraft or implement trades based on the Steelers roster at the time.
General rule: Any "redrafted" pick will generally fall within a 15-pick range and trade propositions being realistic and attainable.
Steelers situation and needs:
- The Steelers rebounded from an 0-2 start to make the playoffs for the 2nd time in five years as they struggled to find balance and maturity.
- The lack of discipline and maturity showed greatest when the pressure was on the most. D.J. Johnson was thrown out of the AFC Wildcard game vs. the Kansas City Chiefs for throwing a punch and Jeff Graham could not convert on a 3rd down catch and a blocked punt saw the Steelers blow a 7-point lead in a game they should have outright won.
- Barry Foster held out for a contract for a 2nd consecutive year and had a great start through nine games before being lost for the season to injury. Leroy Thompson was not able to step up and Merrill Hoge went criminally underused.
- TE Eric Green was again the only bona fide receiving threat - leading the team with 63 catches and 942 yards.
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Who the hell is Mel Kiper anyway?
27 years ago and it still resounds as a great all-time draft day moment to hear Mel Kiper called out by Bill Tobin, in particular when he was outright wrong!
1994 Steelers Draft: 1st Round - #17 Overall; 2nd Round - #50 Overall
The Steelers had a gaping need at WR and felt they had a pipeline with Universal of Colorado, selecting Charles Johnson. While not a bust, Johnson was not a standout performer either, starting 58 games in his five-year run as a Steeler and tallying 247 catches for 3,400 yards and 15 TDs. Even recognizing the game has changed and he's had a Hall of Fame QB - JuJu Smith-Schuster had 168 catches for 2,343 yards and 14 TDs when starting 20 games over two years. For a more accurate comparison, Yancey Thigpen began to emerge as the Steelers star WR as 1994 progressed and over the next four years (despite missing all but two games in 1996 due to injury). Thigpen had 212 catches, 3,495 yards and 18 TDs. Thigpen even set the team record in receiving yards (1,398) that would not be broken until 2013. Johnson did have his best seasons in 1996 and 1998 when Thigpen was out, but there was no sense of urgency to retain him after 1998 when the Steelers sought to replace him by drafting Troy Edwards.
DT Brenston Buckner was drafted in the 2nd and started for three seasons until he was traded for a 7th round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs. Buckner had a long career in the NFL and his best season was with the Steelers for their 1995 Super Bowl run.
Brenston Buckner - per Steelers.com on his best game:
It was against Jacksonville in 1995. We had just come off the bye week, Joel Steed was suspended. I moved to nose guard and had six tackles and two sacks and we went on to win 8 or 9 straight games and go on to the Super Bowl.
Grade B-
- While the Steelers didn't blow it out of the water in the first two rounds, they landed OLB Jason Gildon who would go on to become the Steelers all-time leader in sacks (77.0) until James Harrison topped him (80.5) in 2016. Gildon fell into that lull period between the 1997-2001 runs, so he's largely unappreciated for what he contributed.
- RB Bam Morris was an integral part of the Steelers 1995 Super Bowl push and eventually enabled the Steelers to let disgruntled Barry Foster walk.
- The Steelers made several significant free agent signings, including DE Ray Seals, FB John L. Williams and CB Tim McKyer. Seals is a forgotten beast (15.5 sacks over two seasons) from the DE and Williams really was versatile in blocking and receiving.
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Redrafting 1994: Hall of Famer who could have made a difference.
Despite the Colorado connection the Steelers felt, Issac Bruce was the best WR in the draft and would have been huge for the Steelers. With Chris Miller/Tony Banks as his QBs, he hauled in 117 catches, 1,781 yards, and 13 TDs in 1995; followed by 84 catches, 1,338 yards and 7 TDs in consecutive seasons. Let Deion Sanders try to cover that in Super Bowl XXX.
Thoughts or comments, leave them below!
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