Tons of history have littered the streets of Pittsburgh and their football team since their inception. They are 90 years old and have been through a lot of ups and downs throughout their existence. The Steelers initially started off their franchise as the Pirates before taking on the steel city name that they still use.
Not every first-round pick works out or the trades that you include them in. The black and gold started off with little success in the professional ranks, but that changed for the better once the 70s hit, and competing for championships became a norm. There were a lot of great picks in the NFL draft by the Steelers in their 90 years of existence, but there were a lot of poor choices too.
Steelers first round picks from 1936-1940 offer shaky outcomes
1936 (Pick 3): William Shakespeare (RB), Notre Dame
No this is not the famed writer that he shares his name with. After a great career at Notre Dame, William Shakespeare was selected third overall by the then Pittsburgh Pirates. The NFL was not a high paying league and that led to Shakespeare deciding to choose another professional career rather than joining the club.
1937 (Pick 5): Mike Basrak (RB/OC), Duquesne
Some might consider Mike Basrak a local product as he graduated from Duquesne after they defeated Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl. He did not do anything of much note during his time with Pittsburgh. Basrak decided to retire from the game of football just two seasons into his professional career to focus on other interests.
1938 (Pick 4): Byron White (RB), Colorado
The NFL continued to struggle to keep talent in their league, but Byron White was a star that did not stick around. The Steelers took him in the first round, and he only stuck around a year. He did make an impressive impact in that lone year before he would become one of the highest paid NFL players at the time when he returned to the game briefly with the Detroit Lions. He would later become a Supreme Court Justice.
1939: No pick, traded the second overall selection to the Chicago Bears. Received Ed Manske. Traded away 1939 first round pick.
This is considered one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history, and the Steelers were on the bad end. Ed Manske was a good player, but he would only be in Pittsburgh for one season before returning to Chicago. That first round pick that the Steelers gave up for Manske turned out to be Hall of Fame quarterback Sid Luckman.
1940 (Pick 3): Kay Eakin (RB), Arkansas
Another pick that never played a down for Pittsburgh throughout his career. He would wind up playing only a couple of years of professional football, which included two with the New York Giants. The NFL is not the dominant business model that it is now and had leagues that competed with them. Kay Eakin even played for the Miami Seahawks of the All-American Football Conference for a year.