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Ranking the 5 worst NFL Draft picks of the Mike Tomlin era
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- Ranking the 5 worst NFL Draft picks of the Mike Tomlin era
For the first time since 2007, the Pittsburgh Steelers will head into an NFL Draft without former head coach Mike Tomlin running the show. Tomlin orchestrated 19 drafts for the Steelers with former GM Kevin Colbert and current GM Omar Khan. The 2026 NFL Draft will mark the beginning of a new age with new head coach Mike McCarthy and we hope the momentum of Khan as GM continues.
This also got us looking back at some of those Colbert/Tomlin drafts and decided to rank the five worst picks of the era.
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1 - EDGE Jarvis Jones (2013) First round
There was nothing about Jones' film or workouts that said he could play in the NFL but this didn't stop the Steelers from taking him in the first round. Jones' lack of athleticism and technique were glaring from day one and over the course of four seasons could only muster six sacks.
2 - QB Kenny Pickett (2022) First round
Most pundits and fans knew this pick was a reach and an act of desperation but most tried to be cautiously optimistic. Unfortunately, everything wrong with Pickett's game never got better and after two seasons was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles . Pickett has been on four rosters in the two seasons since the trade.
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3 - WR Chase Claypool (2020) Second round
As bad as Chase Claypool was as a player and as much as his attitude hurt the team this isn't why he's here. Well, not the only reason. Claypool only getting 153 catches in three years before being traded away was a problem. But Claypool is a bad pick because the Steelers opted for Claypool when quarterback Jalen Hurts was available. Ben Roethlisberger was coming off of a season-ending injury in 2019 and it was the perfect time to bring in his replacement.
4 - LB Devin Bush (2019) First round
Bush's career peaked as a rookie, which is never a good sign, and he was unable to come back fully from an injury suffered the next season. But the reason he makes this list is that the front office thought enough of him to trade up to get him.
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5 - WR Limas Sweed (2008) Second round
There have been few players who made a worse transition to the NFL than Sweed. After a highlight-filled career with the University of Texas, Sweed came to the Steelers and looked lost from day one. In two seasons, Sweed was only able to muster only seven receptions and might have had more drops.
Just missed the cut
OT Mike Adams (2012) Second round
S Terrell Edmunds (2018) First round
CB Artie Burns (2016) First round
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Ranking the 5 worst NFL Draft picks of the Mike Tomlin era
