Steelers biggest draft regrets over the past ten years

Drafting Jones over almost anyone else in 2013

Arguably the Steeler’s biggest draft bust of the past ten years, Jarvis Jones, came in a draft that was loaded with talent in the late first round. His sack production in college never transitioned to the pros and his lack of athleticism made it hard for him to be effective on the field. While other players would have made sense over him, none is more upsetting than DeAndre Hopkins going only 10 picks later to the Texans.

Hopkins has gone on to have a fantastic career and is widely considered a top 5-10 WR in the league. Had the Steelers taken Hopkins in the first (instead of opting for Markus Wheaton in the 3rd that year), the team may have had one of the most potent receiving games in the NFL. Antonio Brown was in his prime, and the likes of Jerricho Cotchery and Emmanuel Sanders were solid rotational pieces. However, both players signed elsewhere after the 2013 season, leaving the Steelers WR room bare.

Hopkins would have changed that, giving the Steelers a pair of dominant pass catchers for defenses to plan against. The Steelers still could have added Martavis Bryant the following year, meaning the team would have been almost unstoppable through the air. The fact that the team opted for Jones and Wheaton when they could have had Hopkins is a bitter pill to swallow.