The Steelers sordid past with 1st Round draft picks
When you look at an NFL Draft in its entirety, there are a lot of ways to decipher what, and more importantly who, can be deemed a success. If a player who is drafted in the 3rd Round who develops into a quality role player, is that a failure? That all comes down to expectations for drafted players throughout the three day process, but one thing most fans can agree upon are the expectations for 1st Round draft picks.
A 1st Round pick is expected not just to contribute, but to be a starter. On top of that, they are expected to hang around after their rookie contract expires. For those who don’t know, this is where the coveted 5th Year Option comes into play, but this option for organizations hasn’t always been a thing.
When did it start? Let’s do a quick history lesson:
The NFL’s fifth-year option for first-round draft picks was introduced in the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). This agreement, reached after an 18-week offseason work stoppage, also established the rookie wage scale, which greatly impacted rookie contracts. As a result, first-round picks now have the potential for a fifth-year contract option after their initial four-year rookie deal.
Recently there has been a lot of shade thrown at former Steelers General Manager (GM) Kevin Colbert and his draft picks, especially later in his tenure. I wanted to take a look at the Steelers’ history with their 1st Round draft picks since the 5th year option became an option for teams.
This isn’t a direct reflection of Colbert, more so the very sordid recent history with 1st Round picks which resemble more swing-and-misses than even doubles. Let’s take a look, going back to 2011…
2011 – Cameron Heyward
5th Year Option picked up? Yes
The Steelers first opportunity to place an option on a player was Cam Heyward, and this was a no-brainer. Heyward got his extension, and still remains with the team to this day.
2012 – David DeCastro
5th Year Option picked up? Yes
DeCastro wasn’t supposed to be available when he was drafted in 2012, but he turned it into a “one helmet” career with the Steelers. I thought DeCastro could have played a few more years, but he was a tremendous guard for the team throughout his entire career.
2013 – Jarvis Jones
5th Year Option picked up? No
After two straight 5th year options picked up, the Steelers first declined option came to Jarvis Jones. Jones left the Steelers, and didn’t last in the NFL much longer before he turned to coaching.
2014 – Ryan Shazier
5th Year Option picked up? Yes
Most people might not remember, but Shazier did have his option picked up before the 2017 season. It was the season Shazier suffered the career-ending back injury. Shazier still got his money, but the option was absolutely picked up for the dynamic linebacker.
2015 – Bud Dupree
5th Year Option picked up? Yes
The Steelers picked up Bud Dupree’s 5th year option, and it was in the 2020 season against Baltimore when Dupree’s knee gave out and resulted in an ACL tear. He eventually moved on to the Tennessee Titans, and remains in the NFL.
2016 – Artie Burns
5th Year Option picked up? No
Maybe one of the most head-scratching selections of the recent era, Artie Burns saw his play slowly deteriorate with the team, resulting in them passing on Burns’ option. What might surprise some is that Burns is still in the NFL to this day.
2017 – T.J. Watt
5th Year Option picked up? Yes
Just like I said when talking about Heyward and DeCastro, T.J. Watt’s 5th year option was a no-brainer. Moving on…
2018 – Terrell Edmunds
5th Year Option picked up? No
While Artie Burns might have been a head-scratching 1st Round pick, the selection of Edmunds in 2018 might have been another situation which had Steelers fans wondering what the thought process was during the draft. Nonetheless, while Terrell Edmunds didn’t have his 5th year option picked up, he did return to the team on a new contract.
2019 – Devin Bush Jr.
5th Year Option picked up? No
Fans love to hate on the Devin Bush pick where the Steelers traded up into the Top 10 to select the Michigan linebacker, but fans should also remember how Bush looked as dynamic as advertised before his knee injury in Year 2. From there, Bush never returned to form, and saw his option be declined. Bush is still in the NFL to this day with the Cleveland Browns.
2020 – No 1st Round Pick, Traded for Minkah Fitzpatrick
5th Year Option picked up? Yes, the Steelers picked up Fitzpatrick’s option
While the Steelers didn’t have a 1st Round pick in 2020 due to the trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick with the Miami Dolphins, Fitzpatrick being a 1st Round selection out of Alabama meant they had to make a decision on his 5th year option. The Steelers picked up the option with relative ease, and Fitzpatrick has been a mainstay in the defense to this day.
2021 – Najee Harris
5th Year Option picked up? No
Last season the Steelers had to make a call on Najee Harris and his option, which would have cost the team just over $7 million dollars, and they chose to let him play out his rookie deal. Harris was durable, reliable, and productive, and he now finds himself a member of the Los Angeles Rams after leaving in free agency.
2022 – Kenny Pickett
5th Year Option picked up? No, not even on the roster
Will the Steelers pick up the option for their 1st Round pick in 2022? He’s not even on the roster to make that decision anymore…
2023 – Broderick Jones
5th Year Option picked up? TBD
The next decision the Steelers will have won’t come until next offseason when they have to make the call on Broderick Jones. To suggest 2025 is an important year for Jones is a giant understatement. If Jones plays well this year at his natural left tackle, there’s a good chance the Steelers pick up the option and try to get him locked up long term as a staple along the offensive line.
2024 – Troy Fautanu
5th Year Option picked up? TBD
Too early to tell…
2025 – Derrick Harmon
5th Year Option picked up? TBD
Way too early to tell…
When you look back at all these 1st Round picks since the CBA was adjusted to allow the 5th year option, it doesn’t look good. On paper it looks like a colossal failure in recent years. However, what I learned as I went through the list is how every player has his own story. Lumping them together isn’t fair to Colbert and the front office, or the players themselves. Injuries happen, scheme fits aren’t always great, and there can be plenty of blame to go around.
But I also can’t conclude this without saying once again how the Steelers have quite the sordid history with their first round picks since 2011.
Let me know what you all think in the comment section below, and be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the rest of OTAs and Mandatory Minicamp.
Is there a source that compiles this data for other NFL teams, for giggles?
Seems that, loosely speaking, 2011-2022 isn’t terribly different from 1980-1991. Rest in peace, Gabriel Rivera, pick 21 in Round 1, 1983.
I can’t remember where I saw this, but I recall a stat that 50% of first rounders fail, and another 25% are considered not worth the pick. If that’s true Colbert probably out paces that a tad here, even as “hit or miss” as these drafts were.
Yes. Five poorly drafted seasons to end Colbert, Fitzpatrick excepted. No plan at all. Losing the good linebacker and defensive tackle also didn’t help. BR7 also could have been more helpful.
I would really say that only Jones and Edmunds were not worth the picks. Burns was considered a fringe first round guy. He was toolsy. The real problem is the philosophy as to whether you take the 5th best CB in round 1 even if it is pick 25? Sure, you could have taken Chris Jones or Derrick Herny instead but who wants those guys.
The Edmunds thing still baffles me. The rumor was he was gaining traction. I always look at the draft profiles the Zierlein does for NFL.com. He had Edmunds rated as a good backup/maybe developing into a starter. That is a big jump to round 1. I won’t even outline round 2 guys because it will make everyone sick.
The Jarvis Jones pick was curious as well. He was considered by most to be 1st talent but had medicals. It was based on his college production. His traits and athleticism maybe it unlikely he would blossom beyond backup, but you never know. Probably should have steered clear for the medicals if no other resason. They wanted an Edge in a so so Edge draft.
Just applying hindsight, JS. Drafting is a crapshoot always.
A path that leads to 9 and 10-win seasons with no playoff success. I started following the Steelers around 1962 or so, in the dark ages when Art I was still running the show, and remember how sordid things really could be:
1962: Bob Ferguson (RB, Ohio State): Fifth pick in the draft. 63 career rushes for 208 yards over two seasons.
1963: Traded to the Bears for QB Rudy Bukich. Steelers had NO draft picks until round 8.
1964: Paul Martha (RB, Pitt): 10th pick in the draft. 145 yards at RB in 1964, 171 yards at WR in 1965, five more seasons as a safety for the Steelers and Broncos. Got his law degree, became VP of the Penguins.
I’ll never forget how pissed my dad was when the Steelers traded his favorite player, WR Buddy Dial, to the Cowboys for the rights to Scott Appleton, a DT from Texas who had just been taken with the 4th pick in the draft. Appleton promptly signed with the AFL Houston Oilers, leaving the Steelers with nothing.
1965: Traded the 3rd pick in the draft to the Bears for second and fourth round picks. The Bears used the pick to draft Dick Butkus.
1966: Dick Leftridge (RB, WVU): 3rd pick in the draft. 8 career rushes for 17 yards.
1967: Traded the 9th pick in the draft to the Packers for Lloyd Voss and Tony Jeter.
1968: Mike Taylor (OT, USC): 12 starts over two seasons with the Steelers, four more seasons as a backup for the Saints, Redskins and Cardinals.
The Steelers had winning records in 1962 and 63. Their record for the balance of the decade was 19-62-3.
Dan Rooney became the Steelers’ GM in 1969, hired Chuck Noll and joined with him to talk Art out of drafting Terry Hanratty (QB from Butler High and Notre Dame) in the first round (they got him in round 2).
1969: Joe Greene (DT, North Texas): You know the story from there.
Ernie, you’ve got three years on me, I don’t remember Buddy Parker. I do recall Nixon and Austin.
Pre Noll was before me, but yeah, those years were rough. The Steelers were that era’s Jets and or Browns….and the Browns were great.
Yeh, Dad told stories about the old Browns from the mid ’40s-’50s. Parker beat Brown twice for championships. Parker was odd as a manager, but a good coach.
Say what you will about Artie Burns. I think he was definitely not worth the 5th-year option pickup, but I ALWAYS loved his story about how he was raising his younger brother(s). I’ll always have a soft spot for a guy like that.
Hey, he’s NFL-quality and mature. Much credit to him. Not everything is zero-sum in this world.
Najee went to the Chargers, not the Rams.