History suggests Steelers should wait until third round to draft a wide receiver

Emmanuel Sanders 2010-2013, Steelers 82nd overall selection

The Steelers found Sanders sitting on the draft board in 2010 and rightfully so picked him up. There is no denying the kid had talent. The only problem was that he got drafted in the wrong year. He could have quickly risen to the top as a receiver for the Steelers; however, he played in a very talented wide receivers corp. You had an aged Hines Ward, and up and coming Antonio Brown, Mike Wallace, Jericho Cotchery, and as the outlet receiver Heath Miller.

As a result, he kind of got lost in the crowd, and his talents were never fully utilized by the Steelers. This was a shame because his career really took off when he moved on to Denver via free agency. While in Pittsburgh, Sanders only managed 2030 yards on 161 receptions. In Denver, it was a different story. He amassed 3571 yards in his first three seasons and scored 20 touchdowns.

There was little doubt the Steelers scouts got everything right when they drafted Emanuell Sanders. The only problem was that he only proved it after moving on from the Steelers. In fairness, in 2013, Fans had gotten a glimpse of how good he was when he hauled in 113 receptions for 740 yards. The Steelers just let him go, and Denver signed him in 2013 for only $2.5 million. However, they re-signed him in 2014 to a $15million deal.