Way back in 2006, the Steelers were coming off a Super Bowl Victory and headed into the final draft of the Bill Cowher era.
They had the 32nd pick in the first round of the draft.
They were about to begin a super impactful chain of transactions that won it a super bowl and still affects the team today
It all started when they traded that 32nd OA pick, along with a 3rd and 4th round pick (96th and 129th oa) to the NY Giants for their first round pick, 25th overall.
The Steelers used that pick on WR Santonio Holmes.
The Giants used their picks on Mathias Kiwanuka, Gerris Wilkinson, and Guy Whimper...
Holmes would have a mercurial career in Pittburgh, culminating in the iconic Super Bowl winning catch in 08, but would burn bridges in 09 and was traded before the 2010 draft
They sent him to the jets in exchange for a fifth round pick (155) that the jets had acquired from the Eagles.
The Steelers then traded that pick to Arizona for the return of Bryant McFadden and a nondescript sixth round pick 195th OA
The Steelers then used that 195th pick on Antonio Brown
After Brown's Steelers career as one of the best wrs of all time unraveled, he was dealt for 3rd (66oa) and 5th (141st oa) round picks in the 2019 draft.
They Spent the 5th rounder on a backup TE named Zach Gentry, who had a short career that ended after the 24 season.
The third rounder, however, was used on WR Dionte Johnson, who continued the legacy of having good on field performances marred by dramatic behavior.
He was dealt before the 2024 NFL draft, along with a 2024 7th round comp pick (240oa), for CB Donte Jackson and a sixth round pick (178oa) Carolina got from Arizona in a separate trade.
Carolina used their pick on Michael Barrett, who never made the team and is on his fifth team since...
The Steelers used their sixth round Draft pick on one Logan Lee, who made the team this year.. meaning that draft capital the Steelers invested before 2006 is yielding dividends 20 years after the investment... the longest such stretch in their modern history at least... the Ben Roethlisberger pick lasted 18 years... all in one player, though..
This brought them 3 different starting wrs, one which may go to the HOF and another that won them a SB, 2 starting CBs, a backup TE, and whatever Logan lee gives them at DL...
They had the 32nd pick in the first round of the draft.
They were about to begin a super impactful chain of transactions that won it a super bowl and still affects the team today
It all started when they traded that 32nd OA pick, along with a 3rd and 4th round pick (96th and 129th oa) to the NY Giants for their first round pick, 25th overall.
The Steelers used that pick on WR Santonio Holmes.
The Giants used their picks on Mathias Kiwanuka, Gerris Wilkinson, and Guy Whimper...
Holmes would have a mercurial career in Pittburgh, culminating in the iconic Super Bowl winning catch in 08, but would burn bridges in 09 and was traded before the 2010 draft
They sent him to the jets in exchange for a fifth round pick (155) that the jets had acquired from the Eagles.
The Steelers then traded that pick to Arizona for the return of Bryant McFadden and a nondescript sixth round pick 195th OA
The Steelers then used that 195th pick on Antonio Brown
After Brown's Steelers career as one of the best wrs of all time unraveled, he was dealt for 3rd (66oa) and 5th (141st oa) round picks in the 2019 draft.
They Spent the 5th rounder on a backup TE named Zach Gentry, who had a short career that ended after the 24 season.
The third rounder, however, was used on WR Dionte Johnson, who continued the legacy of having good on field performances marred by dramatic behavior.
He was dealt before the 2024 NFL draft, along with a 2024 7th round comp pick (240oa), for CB Donte Jackson and a sixth round pick (178oa) Carolina got from Arizona in a separate trade.
Carolina used their pick on Michael Barrett, who never made the team and is on his fifth team since...
The Steelers used their sixth round Draft pick on one Logan Lee, who made the team this year.. meaning that draft capital the Steelers invested before 2006 is yielding dividends 20 years after the investment... the longest such stretch in their modern history at least... the Ben Roethlisberger pick lasted 18 years... all in one player, though..
This brought them 3 different starting wrs, one which may go to the HOF and another that won them a SB, 2 starting CBs, a backup TE, and whatever Logan lee gives them at DL...
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