Over the last decade, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been a model franchise when it comes to the NFL draft. Looking down the list of first round picks the Steelers have had is a virtual who’s who of key contributors to the team’s last two Super Bowl victories.
With the 2011 NFL draft quickly approaching, one word that will be thrown around with great consistency will be BUST. Around this time in the NFL season, it is a crime equal to mentioning Voldemort’s name in Harry Potter, and no general manager wants to hear that word attached with a player they pick.
But in the NFL, these BUSTS are far too common, and not even the Steelers are immune to the dreaded flop.
With that being said, I have compiled a list of the Steeler’s top-ten worst draft picks over the last decade, and please be advised, you may experience some sense of nausea over some of these names.
No. 10- William Gay, cornerback, Louisville
There may be a lot of people that don’t agree with this pick, and I can sympathize with that. Gay is a fantastic blitzer, and many would argue that Gay’s ceiling is very high…I’m not buying it.
Gay is the worst coverage corner I have seen since Chad Scott, and has been beat far too many times over the last two seasons to even be considered a starting corner in the NFL.
In his four seasons with the Steelers, Gay has intercepted one pass, that’s right one interception over a four year NFL career. People may say, but Ike Taylor doesn’t intercept very many passes either, and I would agree with that. But Ike can also be considered the best shut down corner in the league excluding interceptions.
Maybe this is a personal vendetta against Gay, but he does not do the black and gold the justice it deserves.
No. 9- Daniel Sepulveda, punter, Baylor
While many Steeler fans have grown to love the booming punts Sepulveda provides for the team, you have to take a step back and really asses how valuable he really is.
First and foremost, who drafts a punter? There is a reason why there are no punters or kickers in the Hall of Fame, and that is because it is an expendable position. The Steelers reached for Sepulveda, drafting him in the fourth round.
When he is on the field, Sepulveda has proven to be a tactical weapon, but that is when he is ON THE FIELD. Sepulveda has missed two of the last three seasons with knee issues, and what good is a punter that can’t play. I mean lets be honest, the Steelers won a Super Bowl with Mitch Berger as its punter.
No. 8- Bruce Davis, linebacker, UCLA
The Steelers drafted Davis in 2008 with hopes that his undersized, yet extremely athletic body would translate well to the pros. Well…. they were wrong.
Davis underachieved greatly in his rookie season, and was cut from the team in 2009.
Because of Davis’ inability to perform, the Steelers were forced to draft multiple linebackers last season to fill his void, and in addition were forced to bring back veterans such as Larry Foote, who clearly have nothing left in the tank.
No. 7- Kendall Simmons, OT, Auburn
Kendall Simmons falls under the same category as Sepulveda. While on the field, Simmons showed much promise, yet injuries sidelined Simmons for far too much of his career for him to of had an impact for the Steelers.
Simmons is also the only player on this list who was drafted in the first round of any draft by the Steelers, which may make him the biggest bust of them all. While his talent was there, this is a ‘show me, don’t tell me’ league, and Simmons never really showed me anything.
No. 6- Tee Martin, QB, Tennessee
Talk about reaping the benefits of those before you! Martin sat behind Payton Manning at Tennessee for two years while Manning built the Vols into a powerhouse. As Manning left for the NFL, Martin took over as the starting quarterback and led the team to a 13-0 record, and a national championship.
Riding the wave of popularity Martin had created, the Steelers drafted him with the hopes of finding the next Kordell Stewart. It did not work out the way the Steelers had hoped.
Martin was drafted in 2000 by the Steelers, and ended his career in 2004 in an Oakland Raiders uniform. His god-gifted athletic ability never translated to the pros.
No. 5- Kraig Urbik, OL, Wisconsin
It is no surprise the Steelers have had constant troubles with their offensive line. The team has lacked consistency at the position for years. Urbik was touted as the perfect guard for the Steelers run blocking scheme. After his rookie campaign, which netted Urbik zero playing time, the lineman was cut from the team the next year.
Any player taken in the first three rounds of a draft should be able to at least play out his rookie contract, but being cut after just one season lands you on the not top-ten list.
Honorable Mention: Tony Hills, OT, Texas
The book is still out on Hills, but as of now, he can be considered a bust. Touted with great hand placement, and quick feat, Hills was set to be a big-time player for the Steelers, yet he has never panned out.
No. 4- Troy Edwards, WR, Louisiana Tech
While Troy Edwards was drafted in 1999, it makes him ineligible to be part of this prestigious group, but I took the artistic liberty to add a player who truly deserves to be on this list.
Edwards could not catch a cold standing naked in the Allegheny River in the middle of December.
My vague memories of Edwards stem from watching games with my dad, who would yell obscenities at the television usually ending with Edwards name. In his time for the Steelers, Edwards amassed extremely underwhelming numbers, and earned his spot in the top- five of this list.