The 2023 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, and excitement is building as fans expect their teams to add the next crucial piece that could help them win a Super Bowl. Of course, as is the case with the NFL Draft, some of these picks will not work out, and selections will fail to meet expectations. Even though the Pittsburgh Steelers are widely regarded as one of the better-drafting teams in the NFL, they are no strangers to selecting draft busts.
This article will break down the Pittsburgh Steelers' ten worst draft picks of all time. It primarily focuses on first-round picks, as they matter more and allegedly have a higher chance of succeeding, making their failure even worse. It also gives precedence to more modern picks as the draft became more formalized.
Honorable Mentions: Pre-Modern Wasted Picks
Given the nature of professional football during its nascent stages and the necessity of military services during that time, it is somewhat unfair to criticize some of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ earliest draft picks.
Even though some of these picks never played for the Steelers, and some never played professionally at all, this was the case for a significant portion of any players selected in the NFL Draft during the 1930s, 1940s, and even the 1950s. Nevertheless, these wasted picks surely contributed to the Steelers being the laughingstock of the league for its first few decades of existence.