In this exercise, the Pittsburgh Steelers will go through seven rounds of a re-draft where they can select from any player in that round that was taken by them from 2016-2026. It's unfair to the more recently selected players, as the long-standing veterans at this point have an edge when it comes to getting picked.
One thing stood out in this piece: there is a clear reason the Steelers haven't seen much playoff success.
Former general manager Kevin Colbert missed on plenty of his draft picks during his final years in the top seat. While Omar Khan has done a solid job on paper as Colbert's replacement, he has shown some warts of his own. Pittsburgh is tired of not making noise in the playoffs, and the Steelers don't seem to be getting into the right spot when it comes to locating a solution in the draft or elsewhere.
Pittsburgh Steelers All-Decade re-draft exposes why Omar Khan and Kevin Colbert failed
Others considered: N/A
It's staggering how poorly the Steelers have drafted in the top round since 2016, despite some improvements recently. That said, T.J. Watt is the clear pick to go in the top round of this All-Decade re-draft for the Steelers. He is a future Hall of Famer and will likely hold the all-time leading sack list for the franchise for the foreseeable future. Watt is one of the best defenders the team has ever had.
Others considered: George Pickens (2022) & Joey Porter Jr. (2023)
Round two is where this draft class could get interesting.
Zach Frazier is the pick here, as his first two years in the NFL have shown that he should turn out to be a terrific center moving forward. George Pickens didn't get a second contract, so it's hard to pick him. Joey Porter Jr. is solid but has penalty issues. Frazier is the only option that is safe and has shown he can be a long-term success story.
Others considered: Alex Highsmith (2020), James Conner (2017), Diontae Johnson (2019)
Perhaps the toughest choice in this re-draft was at this portion. There were many to choose from, and the Steelers showed they have a good track record of third-round picks. Javon Hargrave has enjoyed the longest career thus far of the choices and was a great find by Pittsburgh in 2016. No, he hasn't played most of his career with the Steelers, but overall, he is the best player to choose from.
Others considered: Kevin Dotson (2020) & Mason McCormick (2024)
He just got paid big money by the Steelers, so it only makes sense to include Nick Herbig at this point.
There is still plenty of football left in front of him, but his ceiling appears extremely high. Kevin Dotson performed better after leaving Pittsburgh, and that's why he is not the pick. Mason McCormick is a solid option, but Herbig is a player who could become a superstar.
Others considered: N/A
Looking back through the Steelers fifth round picks since 2016, and there weren't many, and finding a quality one made it even more difficult. Yahya Black might not be a household name right now, but he proved last season he can be a quality contributor. This All-Decade re-draft really showed how bad Kevin Colbert performed in the fifth round of his draft classes later in his tenure.
Others considered: N/A
Again, this is more of an indictment of Colbert, but Omar Khan did a good job of drafting Will Howard at this point in the draft. He was great value at the time, and his coaching staff continues to pump his tires full of hype. We will see if Howard ever turns into anything, but his potential makes him an easy pick at this point in the re-draft.
The decision was easier with very limited options to pick from.
Others considered: Tyler Matakevich (2016)
Surprisingly, the final round of this re-draft had some options to mull over. Spencer Anderson gets the call here as his versatility along the offensive line is too good to pass up. Another option was Tyler Matakevich, who was always a solid special teams contributor and veteran linebacker. With that said, Anderson has starting potential and provides more value to an NFL roster.
Add us as a preferred source on Google