Top 50 Pittsburgh Steelers of the 2000’s: players 40-31

37. Vance McDonald, TE (2013)

Vance McDonald is a player on the Steelers that is hard not to get excited about. He possesses a rare combination of size, strength, and athleticism that is hard to come by at the tight end position.

The Steelers traded for McDonald in the final year of his rookie deal with the 49ers for a 4th and 5th round pick swap, and I would say that the Steelers got a bargain (though it worked out for San Francisco who landed George Kittle that same year in the draft).

Though Vance is often injured, he can be a nightmare for opposing defenses when he is at his best. McDonald excels in both run blocking and pass catching, and he can line up anywhere on the field.

Vance operates like a running back when the ball is in his hands, and often looks for someone to punish at the end of his runs. His most memorable play (and one of the best plays of the year) came against the Buccaneers where McDonald stiff armed Chris Conte to the ground en route to a 75-yard touchdown.

McDonald only has 21 career starts for the Steelers, but he will play a larger role in Pittsburgh in 2019 with Jesse James now on the Detroit Lions.