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The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 5 Worst Draft Picks in the Last 10 Years
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- The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 5 Worst Draft Picks in the Last 10 Years
Drafting is an inexact science. Even the best of the best miss for any number of reasons—injuries, poor scheme fit, off-the-field issues, lack of development, and so on. With the 2026 NFL Draft now in the rearview mirror, things should be quiet on the personnel side until training camps open in July.
With that in mind, it seems like the perfect time to go back over the last 10 drafts to identify picks which didn't pan out for each of the 32 clubs. Before we begin, let's set the ground rules: We're starting with the 2016 draft, so no players from the 2026 draft are eligible.
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Now that we've established the parameters, here are the Pittsburgh Steelers ' five worst draft picks of the past decade:
Dishonorable Mentions
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DB Sean Davis (58th Overall, 2016)
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CB Justin Layne (83rd Overall, 2019)
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OL Kendrick Green (87th Overall, 2021)
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DT DeMarvin Leal (84th Overall, 2022)
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WR Roman Wilson (84th Overall, 2024)
5) WR Chase Claypool , 49th Overall (2020)
Yes, the Steelers got less out of some of the names above than they did from Claypool. He lands on my list, however, because of how quickly he went from promising rookie to gone from the NFL. The Notre Dame product topped 800 yards in each of his first two seasons, but his attitude rubbed team officials the wrong way, and he was jettisoned midway through an unproductive third season to Chicago for a second-round pick. Claypool would catch a total of 22 passes with the Bears and Dolphins before disappearing from the NFL at age 25.
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4) OL Broderick Jones , 14th Overall (2023)
While GM Omar Khan's first draft class has been a good one, Jones is a notable exception. The first-round pick struggled at both left and right tackle, and then he suffered a significant neck injury that required spinal fusion surgery. The Steelers declined his fifth-year option, and Jones' availability for the upcoming season is unclear following reports of a setback.
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3) WR James Washington , 60th Overall (2018)
A year after the Steelers nabbed JuJu Smith-Schuster in the second round, they drafted Washington. While he put up decent numbers in his second season, Washington got lost in the shuffle of a receiver room that added Diontae Johnson and Claypool the following two years. He was out of the NFL after breaking his foot in training camp with Dallas in 2022.
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2) CB Artie Burns , 25th Overall (2016)
Already a consolation prize when the Bengals selected William Jackson III one spot ahead of the Steelers in 2016, Burns got off to a decent start but eventually his spotty play led to him falling out of favor in the Steel City, making just eight tackles in his fourth and final season with the club. Ironically, the Steelers eventually acquired Jackson in a trade on the very same day they parted ways with Claypool.
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1) QB Kenny Pickett , 20th Overall (2022)
With Ben Roethlisberger finally hanging up the cleats, the Steelers were in need of a new franchise quarterback. Enter Pickett, who had played his collegiate ball at Pitt and landed in the team's lap at No. 20. Despite the aligning of the fates, there would be no storybook ending. Although he posted a 14-10 record as a starter, Pickett struggled to move the offense. When the Steelers signed Russell Wilson in 2024, Pickett asked for a trade and was sent to Philadelphia .
Related: The Philadelphia Eagles' 5 Worst Draft Picks in the Last 10 Years
This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Jul 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
