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5 best Pittsburgh Steelers draft picks of the Kevin Colbert era

By Eric Hassel

BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 11: Strong safety Troy Polamalu No. 43 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on in the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on September 11, 2014 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 11: Strong safety Troy Polamalu No. 43 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on in the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on September 11, 2014 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 20: Heath Miller #83 of the Pittsburgh Steelers makes a reception during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Heinz Field on September 20, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers defeated the 49ers 43-18. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 20: Heath Miller #83 of the Pittsburgh Steelers makes a reception during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Heinz Field on September 20, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers defeated the 49ers 43-18. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) /

The Steelers draft a stalwart at Tight End and an electrifying Wide Receiver

In the first round of the 2005 draft, the Steelers ‘hit’ on Heath Miller, a TE out of Virginia.  Miller would go on to become a two-time Pro Bowler and a two-time Super Bowl champion.  I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we won the Super Bowl in Miller’s rookie year as Miller quickly established himself as a reliable receiving option as well as a tremendous blocker.

According to Pro-Football-Reference, Miller started 15 games in 2005, played in all 16 games, caught 39 passes for 459 yards and scored 6 TDs and would go on to win the first of his two Super Bowls as a member of the Steelers.  In 11 seasons, Miller would start 167 out of 168 games, would catch 592 passes for 6569 yards, adding 45 TDs.

What’s not included in the above statistics is Miller’s proficiency as a blocker.  Having watched Miller play his entire Steelers career, it was like having a sixth offensive lineman out there.  I dare say that if push came to shove, he would have been able to play tackle or guard.  Miller was simply a steady as they came and was an anchor for the offense.

Coming in at the fourth-best draft pick of the Colbert era is Antonio Brown, the mercurial and electrifying wide receiver who was drafted in the sixth round of the 2010 draft out of Central Michigan.  In his nine seasons with the Steelers, Brown made seven Pro Bowls, six consecutively, was named All-Pro four times, caught 837 passes for 11,207 yards and added 74 TDs.

While there is no denying Brown’s talent, the reason he is not higher on my list is a very simple one:  Unlike Miller and other players who will be named shortly, Brown did not always conduct himself in a professional manner.  Culminating with his request to be traded, Brown’s Steelers legacy is forever tainted with his selfish behavior; however, as I stated, there is no debate about his production and talent during his tenure with us.

Let’s continue our discussion with the third-best and second-best draft picks.

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