Unfortunately for Pittsburgh Steelers fans, the results of the first-round selections in the NFL Draft have been a rousing disappointment for the better part of a decade. Dating back to 2013, it's been one missfire after another for the Steelers' front office, with one exception: TJ Watt.
From 2013 to 2020, only three first-round selections got a second contract (of sorts) with Pittsburgh, one of which was Watt. The other two were Bud Dupree, who was franchise-tagged, and Terrell Edmunds. We'll talk more about Edmunds later, but the 39.5 sacks and huge payday Dupree signed after his five years in Pittsburgh disqualify him from the list of Day 1 picks who didn't pan out.
6 Recent Failed Pittsburgh Steelers First-Round Picks and Where They Are Today
Terrell Edmunds, 2018 NFL Draft
Terrell Edmunds' status as a 'failed' first-round pick might depend on who you ask within the Steelers fanbase. Nonetheless, most Steelers fans will concede that selecting him 28th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft was a reach.
Still, Edmunds racked up over 400 tackles, 15 TFLs, five sacks, and six interceptions in his first five seasons with Pittsburgh. The 2022 season is when fans started to come around to him as a reliable figure in the defensive backfield, even if he wasn't the one making splash plays.
However, just when it seemed like Edmunds had found a suitable role in Pittsburgh, he left in free agency after the 2022 season. He bounced from Philadelphia to Tennessee to Jacksonville before landing on the Steelers' practice squad last season, appearing in five games.
As of this writing, Edmunds is a free agent and doesn't appear to garner much interest from teams around the league before the draft takes place. His name could turn up closer to training camp, where he might have just one more opportunity to prove he still belongs in the NFL.
Najee Harris, 2021 NFL Draft
The only Steelers running back in team history to post four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in his first four seasons was a letdown. Of course, 1,000-yard seasons aren't the accomplishment they once were, and they're soured even more when the runner doesn't eclipse four yards per carry.
Harris certainly had his moments, often featured in highlight reels for his angry runs, dribbling defenders into the turf off a mean stiff arm, or for his questionable hurdling decisions that (sometimes) miraculously paid off.
Harris didn't have his fifth-year option picked up and left in free agency after the 2024 season, signing a one-year, $5.25 million contract to play in Jim Harbaugh's run-heavy offense with the Los Angeles Chargers. Based on his departing comments in media interviews after singing with LA, Harris is certainly hoping for greener pastures back home on the West Coast.
Kenny Pickett, 2022 NFL Draft
Fans wanted to believe in Kenny Pickett, the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. While he showed a few flashes of the potential that allowed him to be a Heisman Trophy finalist in his final college football season at Pittsburgh, it was painfully clear that he wasn't the long-term answer at quarterback.
Pickett asked to be traded after the Steelers signed Russell Wilson ahead of the 2024 season, and Pittsburgh obliged, sending him to the Philadelphia Eagles for a third-round pick and two sevens. He played sparingly for the Eagles, the team he grew up rooting for, but did leave with a Super Bowl championship.
The Eagles traded Pickett to the Cleveland Browns earlier this offseason. How much of a shot he really has as a starter for the Browns remains to be seen, but the Cleveland front office did give him a public vote of confidence.
Devin Bush, 2019 NFL Draft
The Steelers traded up to the No. 10 overall selection to select Devin Bush out of Michigan. He was supposed to replace Ryan Shazier, who was left off this list for obvious reasons. After a promising rookie season, it all quickly went downhill for Bush.
Bush tore his ACL in his sophomore season and never seemed to return to form. He struggled to be productive before struggling to earn snaps with the defense. His fifth-year option was turned down, leading him to Seattle, where he was able to hit the reset button on his NFL career.
Today, he's a contributor on the Cleveland Browns' defense. He totaled 76 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and a sack in 2024. Based on comments he's made in the past about the black and gold, it's safe to say that Bush is happy to be playing for a Steelers rival.
Artie Burns, 2016 NFL Draft
Before the Steelers reached Terrell Edmunds, they reached Artie Burns with the 25th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Burns had plenty of speed coming out of Miami, but he lacked polish in coverage, and given the state of the Steelers' defensive backfield at the time, he had few veteran options to learn from.
Burns was underwhelming from the start. According to Pro Football Reference, Burns allowed 20 of 29 passes targeting receivers he covered to be completed for 341 yards and six touchdowns in his final two seasons in Pittsburgh. While advanced statistics like this aren't available for his first two seasons in Pittsburgh, it's safe to say those numbers weren't much better.
READ MORE: Steelers' biggest roster needs heading into the 2025 NFL draft
Burns bounced from Chicago to Seattle after his time in Pittsburgh came to an end. His three seasons in Seattle saw him defend only 28 passes, 20 of which came in 2023.
In 2025, Burns is signed to play for the Miami Dolphins, presumably still in a reserve role. Burns has yet to start more than six games or record an interception since 2017, his second year in the NFL.
Jarvis Jones, 2013 NFL Draft
The guy who kicked off a string of bad draft picks for Pittsburgh, Jones was selected No. 16 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft and went on to have one of the most lackluster careers in franchise history among first-round picks. A notorious backfield presence at Georgia, Jones totalled just 11 tackles for loss and only six sacks in four seasons with the Steelers, the entire length of his NFL career.
Jones is still in football these days, serving as the Player Connection Coordinator at his alma mater under head coach Kirby Smart. Jones was most recently in the news after being arrested for speeding and reckless driving in September 2023.