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5 worst Steelers draft picks of the Kevin Colbert era

By Eric Hassel

PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 23: Rashard Mendenhall #34 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks for running room while playing the Cincinnati Bengals during a second quarter run at Heinz Field on December 23, 2012 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 23: Rashard Mendenhall #34 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks for running room while playing the Cincinnati Bengals during a second quarter run at Heinz Field on December 23, 2012 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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PITTSBURGH, PA – OCTOBER 02: Jarvis Jones #95 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs up field after intercepting a pass in the first quarter during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Heinz Field on October 2, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – OCTOBER 02: Jarvis Jones #95 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs up field after intercepting a pass in the first quarter during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Heinz Field on October 2, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

The Steelers drafted an outside linebacker to fill a hole, but the hole was still there

Following the departure of James Harrison after the 2012 season, the Steelers used a first-round pick on an OLB of Georgia.  If the plan was to draft Jarvis Jones to place the productivity and the physicality of Harrison, that plan was doomed from the start.

After playing the 2013 season with the Bengals, Harrison rejoined the Steelers in 2014 and would play for us through the 2016 season.  Jones would also play for us through the 2016 season; however, the former first-round pick would make 35 starts, would log two INTs and would amass a whopping 6 sacks.

Let me repeat that.  Jones would amass a total of 6 sacks in 4 seasons.  That is awful.  For a first-round pick and an OLB at that, to only be able to notch 6 sacks on a team that runs a base 3-4 defense is just poor.

The fact that the Steelers re-signed Harrison is all you need to know about what we thought of the prospects of Jones becoming a top-flight linebacker.  I realize some players just don’t pan out, but you absolutely can not afford to have a first-round pick not pan out.

To add insult to injury, here are some of the players we could have drafted instead of Jones: Desmond Trufant, Xavier Rhodes, DeAndre Hopkins, Zach Ertz, and Darius Slay, all of whom are still in the league while Jones is not.

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