There have always been questionable draft choices in the past, especially when you look back at what could have been. Players have different levels of success in the NFL, no matter if they are picked in the early rounds or not at all. The Steelers have seen up and down seasons in the past five years with zero playoff success in that span.
This article is a fun piece that looks back to the past five different drafts and looks at some different options that could've been a beneficial selection over what they chose. Not all of these were better than the original and deciding on other players for the past two drafts was tricky. Those players are still cutting their teeth in this league.
2019 NFL draft: Steelers should have drafted A.J. Brown (Diontae Johnson)
Overall, the 2019 NFL draft casts a dark shadow on Pittsburgh as they traded up for Devin Bush and he has been a bust. Bush is no longer in the Steelers club, but not everything was negative in that class. Diontae Johnson was added in the third round, but the team could have looked at other options to find a top receiver.
Johnson has been a good addition to this club, but he is a borderline top receiver in the NFL with his different inconsistencies. A.J. Brown would have brought a dynamic weapon to this offense that could have sparked some big plays. Johnson has turned out to be a good value, but the Steelers would have been better off not trading up in round one and taking someone like Brown.
2020 NFL draft: Steelers should have drafted Willie Gay (Chase Claypool)
The Covid outbreak was in full swing by the time the 2020 NFL draft came around. The league had to get creative with how they did the annual event, and they held everything virtually, which was common for most events that year. It was a class full of big names, perhaps none bigger than Joe Burrow, who went number one overall to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Fans of the Steelers also had to wait a chunk of time as they did not hold a first-round pick. That was the first time they did not have a pick on night one of the draft in a long time. It turned out to be one of the best moves Kevin Colbert had ever made in his tenure as general manager. He traded for Minkah Fitzpatrick earlier that season prior and that changed the entire year for Pittsburgh.
That move caused them to wait until their second-round pick and that is when they took Chase Claypool. He had a terrific rookie season but fizzled after that before being traded out of town. There were some better options available like Willie Gay Jr. to bring onto the club. It makes sense why the black and gold did not make this move.
Gay was not regarded as a consensus first round pick, but he would be an upgrade over any middle linebacker the Steelers have had since he was taken. He would have been a better value than Claypool ever was and has found longevity in his success. Taking Gay would have provided a stable linebacker on defense that needs it desperately.
2021 NFL draft: Steelers should have drafted Landon Dickerson (Najee Harris)
Perhaps the most obvious connection between player and team that draft was Najee Harris and the Steelers. Ever since he completed his college career at Alabama, everyone and their mother mocked Harris to the black and gold in every mock draft that was published. There were other prospects rumored to the Steelers, but everyone knew the running back was the choice.
Overall, the 2021 draft class for Pittsburgh has been mixed as they got a couple of starters and depth players. They also passed on some positions of need as they still thought their championship window was still open with an aging Ben Roethlisberger. That thought process was their doom, and they would not accomplish much the following season.
Instead of adding another weapon on offense, the club should have taken some offensive linemen to help this front. Landon Dickerson was one of the few names getting talked about going to the Steelers on night one, even though he was coming off a recent knee injury at the time. He would have been a plug-and-play center on offense and would likely be an above average starter there still today.
Harris was not a bad pick at that point in round one, but there could have been other options out there that could have helped. The emergence of Jaylen Warren last year really goes to show you how little value the running back position has. Centers do not carry a ton of value either, but they would pose a bigger impact than a running back right about now.
2022 NFL draft: Steelers should have drafted Tyler Smith (Kenny Pickett)
You can't necessarily knock what the Steelers did in this draft, especially in round one. They waited till the 20th pick on night one and had the pick of the quarterbacks. It is impossible to replace a Hall of Famer, but they were able to get a local product right next door with Kenny Pickett. It was a popular selection according to Pitt fans, but there is a lot for him to prove.
It did make some question marks appear as the club had both Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph on the roster when the club took Pickett. It's easy to see why they took him and the quality quarterback room that they had last year. But overall, it would have made more sense in terms of team building to potentially bypass taking Pickett and maybe trying to get him later or waiting a year to take a quarterback.
It is a nice story, but so is winning championships. It is still too early to judge Pickett on his career trajectory up to this point. There is a lot of football left for him to play, but there were experienced veterans in the room before he was taken. Taking an offensive tackle that is young and moldable might have been the better option.
The Dallas Cowboys ended up taking Tyler Smith out of Tulsa in a shocking pick in the later portions of the first round. He is a young and moldable tackle that would have been an upgrade over both Dan Moore Jr. and Chuks Okorafor. Maybe taking Pickett will work out after all, but passing on a potential answer at left tackle could be a hard pill to swallow.
2023 NFL draft: Steelers should have drafted Christian Gonzalez (Broderick Jones)
Another obvious link between team and position of need, just like in Harris's year, was at offensive tackle. The interior of the offensive line saw a bunch of fresh blood enter the fold via free agency as Omar Khan and company try to improve that unit. Tackle continued to be the weakest link when you looked at that front, and many figured the draft was the only remaining answer.
A couple of different needs littered this roster heading into the 2023 NFL draft, and overall, it was a successful event for the Steelers. They were able to add quality to specific needs throughout the seven rounds. Night one might be a spot that could put a damper on this otherwise spectacular class on paper.
Pittsburgh felt the need to trade up for Broderick Jones because he was the last remaining top tackle on the board. They didn't pay much to trade up to take Jones, but they are getting a young guy that still needs time to develop. This is not a precursor saying that Jones will not be a quality tackle in the future, but there is a risk.
One name that would have made a lot of sense if the Steelers stayed at their original slot, was Christian Gonzalez. He was tremendous value at that point in the draft as most thought he would go in the top ten. He would have secured a starting spot for this defense but getting Joey Porter Jr. in round two was also good value.