Re-Grading Pittsburgh Steelers' Past 5 Drafts

Draft grading is its own cottage industry. But it is a far more constructive exercise to undertake when the players have at least one year of NFL experience to their names. Even better still is to go further out than that to see how well a team not only drafted for that year but also for the future. After all, the teams that fare best in the draft, in the long term, generally have the most success.

So let's take a look at—and give grades to—the Pittsburgh Steelers' past five draft classes. We'll see who panned out, who didn't and who remains on their roster to this day.

2010

Gene Puskar/Associated Press

Year	Round	Player	Position
2010	1	Maurkice Pouncey	C
2010	2	Jason Worilds	LB
2010	3	Emmanuel Sanders	WR
2010	4	Thaddeus Gibson	DE
2010	5	Chris Scott	G
2010	5	Crezdon Butler	CB
2010	5	Stevenson Sylvester	LB
2010	6	Jonathan Dwyer	RB
2010	6	Antonio Brown	WR
2010	7	Doug Worthington	DT

A number of the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2010 draft picks became longer-term contributors for the team, even though only two of their 10 selections remain on the roster. One of them is their Round 1 pick, center Maurkice Pouncey.

Pouncey started every game in his rookie year, earning Pro Bowl honors. He reached the Pro Bowl again the following two years. In 2013, Pouncey missed the entire season, having suffered a torn ACL and MCL in the preseason. He reclaimed his starting role in 2014 and received a five-year, $44 million contract extension prior to the season.

In Round 2, the Steelers chose pass-rushing linebacker Jason Worilds. He was a bit player—a situational and depth pass-rusher—for the team until 2013, when he had 11 starts. He started all 16 games for the team at left outside linebacker in 2014, totaling 59 combined tackles, 7.5 sacks, a forced fumble, two fumbles recovered and an interception. He was an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and instead of signing with another team (or re-signing in Pittsburgh) he chose to retire from football altogether.

Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders saw his on-field time increase in each of the four years he played for the team, ultimately totaling 161 receptions on 281 targets for 2,030 yards and 11 touchdowns. He left as a free agent in 2014 amidst an increasingly crowded Steelers receiving depth chart. He is now with the Denver Broncos.

Fourth-round pick defensive end Thaddeus Gibson appeared in two games for the Steelers as a rookie but recorded no tackles, sacks or any other meaningful stat. The Steelers released him during the bye week of his first season. Gibson turned into a journeyman player, with that journey currently taking place in the Canadian Football League.

Offensive tackle Chris Scott appeared in two games for the Steelers as a rookie but was subsequently released in 2011 when the team brought back veteran tackle Max Starks. Another 2010 fifth-round pick, cornerback Crezdon Butler, also was cut the following year.

Their third of three fifth-round picks from 2010, linebacker Stevenson Sylvester, managed to play out all four years of his rookie contract in Pittsburgh. He totaled 34 combined tackles in his time with the Steelers and saw most of his playing time as a rookie. In the final three years, he primarily contributed on special teams. He was not re-signed as a free agent.

Running back Jonathan Dwyer was the first of the Steelers' two Round 6 picks in 2010. He was originally a complementary piece and a backup, but injuries to starters forced him on the field in 2012, eventually earning him starts even when fellow backs Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman regained health. He started six games that year and had 156 carries for 623 yards and two scores.

The Steelers initially released Dwyer in 2013 but brought him back to serve as injury insurance. He then went on to join the Arizona Cardinals in 2014 but was subsequently deactivated and put on the team's non-football injury list after he was arrested for domestic violence.

Their other Round 6 pick from 2010 turned out much better. Antonio Brown was the NFL's leading receiver in 2014, totaling 1,698 yards and 13 touchdowns on 129 receptions. He also has an active 32-game streak of games in which he's had at least five receptions for at least 50 yards.

Defensive tackle Doug Worthington, taken in Round 7, did not make it through roster cuts. The team released him in September 2010. He then went on to play three years in Washington and was on the St. Louis Rams' roster in 2014.

Though Pouncey and Brown are the only two players from the 2010 draft still on the roster, what the two players mean to the team makes this a successful draft. If the Steelers had only taken those two players back in 2010, it would have been one of the best Steelers' draft classes of the Mike Tomlin era. Furthermore, another four of those picks provided significant contributions to the team.

Grade: B-

2011

Don Wright/Associated Press

Year	Round	Player	Position
2011	1	Cameron Heyward	DE
2011	2	Marcus Gilbert	OT
2011	3	Curtis Brown	CB
2011	4	Cortez Allen	CB
2011	5	Chris Carter	LB
2011	6	Keith Williams	OL
2011	7	Baron Batch	RB

The Steelers' 2011 draft class was marked by a number of slow starters for the team, beginning with the Round 1 pick, defensive end Cameron Heyward. He has appeared in all 64 games over his four seasons in Pittsburgh but did not become a full-time starter until 2013. He has 143 career combined tackles and 15 sacks, with 53 tackles and 7.5 sacks in 2014.

Offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert, taken in Round 2, was the Steelers' 2011 Rookie of the Year after starting 13 games at right tackle in place of the injured Willie Colon. He remained the starting right tackle in 2012, but an ankle injury cut his season short after just five games. He returned to the starting lineup in 2013, where he remains the right tackle today.

In Round 3, the Steelers selected cornerback Curtis Brown. He totaled 50 combined tackles in his three years in Pittsburgh. He was released in 2014 following a 2013 season in which he suffered a torn ACL, which limited him to seven games on the year.

The Steelers went cornerback in back-to-back rounds in 2011, taking Cortez Allen in Round 4. He has spent most of his career as the Steelers' slot corner, totaling 162 career combined tackles, six interceptions and 34 passes defensed. He received a five-year, $26 million contract prior to the start of the 2014 season and moved to outside corner when Ike Taylor suffered a broken forearm.

Allen was later demoted back to the slot and then to the bench in favor of Brice McCain and Antwon Blake. Allen had 41 combined tackles, two interceptions and four passes defensed in 2014.

In Round 5, the Steelers selected linebacker Chris Carter. In his three years with the Steelers, he served as a special teamer and depth linebacker, totaling just 16 tackles with one pass defensed. The Steelers released him in August of last year.

Sixth-round offensive lineman Keith Williams didn't make it through roster cuts. Seventh-round running back Baron Batch tore his ACL in training camp during his rookie year. In 2012, he rushed 25 times for 49 yards and a touchdown and had four receptions for 31 yards. The Steelers released him in 2013, and he subsequently retired from football. He is an artist and entrepreneur who still resides in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers' 2011 draft class was more about finding role players than shining stars. Though it took some time before Heyward and Gilbert really came into their own, they are now foundational players for the defense and offense, respectively. 

Grade: C

2012

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Year	Round	Player	Position
2012	1	David DeCastro	G
2012	2	Mike Adams	OT
2012	3	Sean Spence	LB
2012	4	Alameda Ta'amu	DT
2012	5	Chris Rainey	RB
2012	7	Toney Clemons	WR
2012	7	David Paulson	TE
2012	7	Terrence Frederick	DB
2012	7	Kelvin Beachum	OT

The Steelers' 2012 draft class is a strange one, if only because one of their four seventh-round picks is ahead of their second-round pick from that year on the depth chart.

In Round 1, the Steelers got lucky—the draft's best offensive guard, David DeCastro, fell all the way to them at No. 24. He appeared in only four games as a rookie, having missed most of the year with ACL and MCL injuries suffered in the preseason. He became a full-time starter in 2013 at right guard and remains the starter now.

In Round 2, offensive tackle Mike Adam's impassioned plea to the Steelers that he was worthy of their draft pick paid off. Adams hasn't panned out as a starting offensive tackle, however, and has just 20 starts to his name over three seasons. 2012 seventh-rounder Kelvin Beachum has leapfrogged him on the depth chart.

In Round 3, the Steelers selected promising interior linebacker Sean Spence to add speed to their pass rush and passing coverage. But he suffered a multi-ligament tear to his knee in the preseason that threatened his football career. Spence was able to miraculously work back from the injury, but a broken finger derailed his 2013. He finally hit the playing field in 2014, amassing 55 tackles and one sack and starting six games.

Fourth-round pick Alameda Ta'amu was originally believed to be the Steelers' nose tackle of the future. After seven games inactive in his rookie year, he joined the practice squad. Pittsburgh released him the following year, and he currently plays for the Arizona Cardinals.

In Round 5, the Steelers selected running back Chris Rainey, anticipating he would play a hybrid receiver-running back role. In his rookie year, he had 26 carries for 102 yards and two scores and 14 receptions for 60 yards. The Steelers released him in January 2013 after he was arrested on domestic battery charges. He eventually landed with the Indianapolis Colts, who cut him in 2014 for violating team rules.

The Steelers selected four players in Round 7: wide receiver Toney Clemons, tight end David Paulson, defensive back Terrence Frederick and offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum. Only Beachum remains on the roster, working his way up the depth chart to become the starting left tackle. Paulson totaled 13 catches for 153 yards in two years with the Steelers before being released in 2014. Frederick and Clemons never played a down for the Steelers.

The 2012 draft was mostly a disappointing one for the Steelers, who only got significant contributions from DeCastro and Gilbert, with Spence just now becoming an on-field factor due to his injuries. Two or three successes in nine picks is not a good return on the Steelers' investment.

Grade: C

2013

Tom Puskar/Associated Press

Year	Round	Player	Position
2013	1	Jarvis Jones	OLB
2013	2	Le'Veon Bell	RB
2013	3	Markus Wheaton	WR
2013	4	Shamarko Thomas	S
2013	4	Landry Jones	QB
2013	5	Terry Hawthorne	DB
2013	6	Justin Brown	WR
2013	6	Vince Williams	LB
2013	7	Nicholas Williams	DT

The Steelers selected linebacker Jarvis Jones in Round 1 to boost the pass rush. To date, Jones has yet to reach his full potential. He has played in 21 games with 11 starts, totaling 59 combined tackles and three sacks. He appeared in only seven games in 2014 while battling through a fractured wrist.

In Round 2, the Steelers hit the jackpot in running back Le'Veon Bell. He broke the franchise's yards-from-scrimmage record for a rookie, set by Franco Harris, even though Bell missed the first three games of the year with a foot sprain.

In 2014, he was one of the NFL's best running backs, totaling 1,361 yards and eight touchdowns on 290 carries and catching 83 passes for 854 yards and three scores. His Week 17 knee injury single-handedly sank the Steelers' playoff game the next week—that's just how important he has become to his team. Bell is set to serve a three-game suspension to start the 2015 season, stemming from a 2014 DUI arrest.

In Round 3, the Steelers opted to add to their receiving corps, selecting Markus Wheaton. He has played in 28 games for the Steelers, with 12 starts (11 starts in 2014). He has a total of 59 catches for 708 yards and two touchdowns and projects to be the slot receiver moving forward.

The Steelers had a pair of picks in Round 4. With the first, they took safety Shamarko Thomas. He was initially thought to be the heir apparent to veteran Troy Polamalu. Instead, he's been primarily used on special teams in the past two years. With Polamalu retired, Thomas has a shot at his job, but it's unclear how far along he is in his development.

With their second Round 4 pick, the Steelers picked up quarterback Landry Jones. He has yet to crack the active game-day roster and has not beaten out No. 2 quarterback Bruce Gradkowski. He may not have much time left in Pittsburgh.

Round 5 has been a source of misery for the Steelers for some time—no player they have picked in the round since 2005 has stuck on the roster for more than a year. This trend continued in 2014 with the selection of defensive back Terry Hawthorne. He was part of the team's roster cuts that summer.

In Round 6, the Steelers went with receiver Justin Brown with their first of two picks. Brown caught 12 passes for 94 yards in 2014 before being released. He is currently on the Buffalo Bills. 

Their second Round 6 pick yielded linebacker Vince Williams. He has played an important role as a rotational inside linebacker, totaling 11 starts in his rookie season in place of Sean Spence and 31 games played over two years. He continues to be part of the rotation, splitting time with Spence and 2014 rookie Ryan Shazier last season.

In Round 7, the Steelers picked up defensive tackle Nicholas Williams. He did not play a snap for the Steelers or any other team.

The 2013 draft gave the Steelers one of their key offensive weapons in Bell, a promising (if slow-developing) pass-rusher in Jones and an important rotational player in Vince Williams. The jury is still out on Thomas as a safety, but he's proved crucial on special teams. Landry Jones might prove to be a wasted pick, as was the Round 5 selection of Hawthorne. The Steelers' 2012 draft is rather underwhelming when taken as a whole, but it's not a bad class of players, either.

Grade: B-

2014

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Year	Round	Player	Position
2014	1	Ryan Shazier	ILB
2014	2	Stephon Tuitt	De
2014	3	Dri Archer	OW
2014	4	Martavis Bryant	WR
2014	5	Shaquille Richardson	CB
2014	5	Wesley Johnson	OL
2014	6	Jordan Zumwalt	LB
2014	6	Daniel McCullers	NT
2014	7	Rob Blanchflower	TE

The Steelers selected inside linebacker Ryan Shazier in Round 1 in 2014 much for the same reasons they took Sean Spence in 2012—to add a speed component to their interior linebacking corps. Shazier started the first three games of the season and then suffered an MCL sprain that held him out until Week 8. From then on, he was a part of a three-man rotation with Spence and Vince Williams. He had 36 combined tackles as a rookie.

In Round 2, the Steelers opted to address the defensive line, given they had recently released veteran Brett Keisel and brought aboard former Seahawk Cameron Thomas. Initially pegged to start alongside Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt ultimately split time with Thomas, while a re-signed Keisel split snaps with Heyward. Tuitt totaled 17 combined tackles and one sack and appeared in 16 games with four starts.

In Round 3, the Steelers picked up offensive weapon Dri Archer. Small and fast, he has the talent to play both wide receiver and running back. The trick, though, is finding a way to get the physically limited player on the field. Archer totaled 10 rushes for 40 yards and seven receptions for 23 yards in 2014.

The Steelers stuck with offense in Round 4, taking 6'4" wideout Martavis Bryant with the 118th overall pick. Bryant was inactive until Week 7 but made a huge impact once he took the field, scoring eight touchdowns and earning 549 yards on just 26 receptions. His role will increase in 2015, especially considering he's a scoring threat both in open space and in the red zone.

The unlucky Round 5 produced two players who did not play a single down for the Steelers in 2014—cornerback Shaquille Richardson and offensive lineman Wesley Johnson. Richardson had initially made the practice squad but was waived-injured in October of last year. The same fate befell him with the Kansas City Chiefs this week.

The Steelers released Johnson in October as well, and he was expected to land on the practice squad. Instead, the New York Jets claimed him on waivers, and he remains on their roster.

Round 6 was all about defense for the Steelers in 2014. First, they selected linebacker Jordan Zumwalt. Zumwalt's training camp was marred by a nagging groin injury that placed him on injured reserve before the regular season began. His development this summer will be monitored closely.

With their second Round 6 pick, they took nose tackle Daniel McCullers. A mountain of a man—so much so that "Mount McCullers" is one of his nicknames—the 6'7", 352-pound McCullers is expected to someday supplant Steve McLendon as the team's starting nose tackle. He totaled two combined tackles and had one start as a rookie. He should see more playing time in his second season.

Finally, the Steelers selected tight end Rob Blanchflower in Round 7. The pass-catching tight end is, at best, a developmental prospect. He spent his rookie season on the practice squad.

It's hard to give the Steelers, or any team, anything but an incomplete grade for a draft class that just joined the team a year ago. All of these players are works-in-progress, given none emerged as full-time or every-down starter as a rookie.

There is a lot of promise to divide among them, particularly Bryant and the numerous defensive players who still remain on the roster. But we won't know until the end of the 2015 season, at the earliest, just what kind of potential these players possess.

Grade: B