Top 10 worst Pittsburgh Steelers draft picks of all-time

6. DE Darryl Sims, 1985 (#20)

Like many of their early draft picks of the 1980s, Darryl Sims was another selection aimed at recreating the Steel Curtain defense. Sims was a two-time All-Big Ten defensive lineman for the Wisconsin Badgers.

However, he failed to become a contributor for the Steelers. Despite appearing in every game, he only recorded three sacks during his time in Pittsburgh. Sims was cut two years into his rookie contract and landed with the Cleveland Browns. He became a starter for the Browns, making ten starts in 20 possible games, but never recorded another sack and was out of the league after four years. 

Sims is relatively forgettable as a player, but he’s part of an interesting trivia nugget. The Steelers would not select another Wisconsin Badger for 16 years when they selected running back Roger Knight in 2001. They would also not select another Badger in the first round for another 16 years when they selected another defensive front-seven player: Trent Jordan Watt. 

5. OT Jamain Stephens, 1996 (#29)

The 1990s were a mixed bag for the Pittsburgh Steelers, both on the field and in the NFL Draft. They found a franchise legend in Alan Faneca and solid starters like Chad Scott and Mark Bruener. But they also had some serious misses in the first round. The most recent of these two was offensive tackle Jamain Stephens out of North Carolina A&T.

Unfortunately, Stephens was not cut out for NFL life. He reportedly did not put the work in and generally struggled. Stephens started ten games in his second season but was released at the end of the year. He stuck around in the NFL for a few more years with the Cincinnati Bengals but only started four more games for them. For someone who was drafted to be a stalwart on a dominant offensive line, Stephens represents a major failure.