Is Antonio Brown the biggest NFL Draft steal of the last decade?
By Adam Patrick
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was included in Bleacher Report’s recent ranking of the biggest NFL Draft steals since 2010.
No matter how people currently feel about him, there is no denying that former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown will go down as one of the NFL’s best players from the last 10 years.
Since 2010, Brown earned four First-Team All-Pro selections, seven Pro Bowl invites, he led the league in catches twice, and he finished with the NFL’s most receiving yards in a season twice. For someone who wasn’t drafted until the sixth round, he easily exceeded his expectations after arriving to Pittsburgh.
Speaking of the draft, Brown was recently included among those selected by Bleacher Report as the biggest steals in the NFL Draft from the last decade. The former Steelers receiver appeared on the ranking at No. 3, behind only Richard Sherman and Russell Wilson.
Pittsburgh took a chance on a young Brown back in 2010 after he had an impressive college career at Central Michigan. No one could have really predicted what would come after this decision.
It didn’t take very long for Pittsburgh to realize they had added someone special to their roster. Brown didn’t do much as a rookie, but by the end of his second season, he was a Pro Bowler.
His performance during his second year with the Steelers ultimately resulted in the team rewarding the receiver in 2012 with a five-year, $42.5 million extension.
Things looked a little shaky after Brown didn’t even finish with 800 receiving yards in his first season after signing his new deal. But then he got back on track in 2013 and he went on to finish each of his next six seasons with at least 100 catches, 1,250 yards, and eight touchdowns.
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Unfortunately, Brown’s tenure in Pittsburgh came to an end in 2019 when the team traded him to the Oakland Raiders. His time with the Steelers will never be forgotten, however, and it’s not crazy to believe that he was arguably the greatest receiver to ever put on the black and gold uniform.