Steelers well represented in list of best all-time NFL draft picks

We’re in perhaps the quietest part of the NFL year, which means football writers are breaking out their weirdest ideas.

Sometimes, though, they’re a lot of fun. Earlier this week, ESPN’s Benjamin Solak released his list of the best NFL Draft pick of the common draft era at each draft slot — i.e. the best No. 1 overall pick ever, the best No. 2 overall pick ever, etc., etc. — all the way through pick No. 262.

Unsurprisingly, the Steelers appeared a lot. However, only one Pittsburgh draft pick was named the best of in a first-round draft slot: defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, who was drafted No. 31 overall in 2011.

Wrote Solak:

I was willing to take an active player over a Hall of Famer here, giving Heyward the nod over fellow defensive tackle Curley Culp (yes, you read that name right). Culp was a productive Chief and Oiler in the 1970s, though he was initially a Broncos draft pick. Heyward is approaching his 15th season with the Steelers, is a Walter Payton Man of the Year and should go down as one of the best Steelers of all time — an incredibly tough list to make.

However, Steeler fans will likely have a problem with Solak’s choice to name Bears running back Walter Payton a better No. 4 overall pick all-time than Pittsburgh great Joe Greene. Solak argues: “Guys with awards named after them tend to be the best draft pick at their slot ever,” but still shouts out Greene. And to be fair, Payton is an all-time great himself.

Ultimately, 15 Steelers made the list (which you can read here), from obvious picks such as Antonio Brown to less obvious names such as Jerry Olsavsky.

For those keeping score, the 262 picks ranked divided by 32 teams comes out to just over eight picks per team, meaning the Steelers are over-represented in the list.

Does that empirically prove anything about the Steelers’ front office? Not really. But one of the best NFL pastimes besides actually watching the sport is discussing random players and related trivia. Want another argument for L.C. Greenwood’s Hall of Fame case? Well, he’s the best No. 238 pick ever, of course!


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