Steelers draft history may repeat itself tonight
We may never see the likes of the 1974 draft ever again. However there’s another draft class in the team’s history that, while not on the level of the ’74 draft, may be its second greatest: 1987.
Without question, the greatest draft in Steelers history (and arguably NFL history) is the 1974 draft in which the organization nabbed four Hall of Fame players in five picks: Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, and Mike Webster (the other selection was defensive back Jimmy Allen). Much has been written about the success of that draft as well as the Steelers overall success in drafting great talent during the dynastic 70s.
While the team’s success fell off in the 80s, they managed to get a few things right. Actually, the entire decade was a bit more successful than it’s given credit for (but more on that another time).
As it turns out, the 1987 draft yielded three future All-Pros: Rod Woodson, Hardy Nickerson, and Greg Lloyd. Another draft pick, Thomas Everett was named to the Pro-Bowl and won two Super Bowls (albeit with the Dallas Cowboys).
It’s prudent to reference the ’87 draft because it’s possible that this year’s draft, which commences Thursday night, may mirror that ‘87 draft in one respect: the emphasis on defense, particularly defensive back.
Three of the team’s first four selections in ’87 were defensive backs, and six of the first seven picks overall were defensive players.
Woodson was the team’s number one pick out of Purdue, followed by Delton Hall from Clemson. In round four, the team selected Safety Thomas Everett out of Baylor.
The team would go on to select Linebacker Hardy Nickerson, Defensive Tackle Tim Johnson and Linebacker Greg Lloyd with picks 5, 6, and 6a.
Woodson is one of the greatest players to ever put on a Steelers uniform and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame after an illustrious career. Meanwhile, Delton Hall never lived up to his billing, having more of a propensity for picking fights than covering receivers. Everett was a solid player and enjoyed a long career playing for the Steelers, Cowboys, and Buccaneers.
Hardy Nickerson also enjoyed a long career playing for the Steelers and Bucs. He finally retired after the 2002 season.
And, of course, there’s Greg Lloyd who became the leader of the defense and one of the NFL’s most feared defenders during the 1990s.
With the Steelers hosting and visiting with so many defensive prospects, and with the speculation that this draft will be heavy on defense, it stands to reason that starting tonight we could see the beginnings of the next “Steel Curtain.”