Steelers Last Decade of Drafting: Round 2 Review

Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Jayson Erwin. Follow him on Twitter @JaysonErwin2002

We're getting close to the all-important first round of the NFL Draft. But before we do that, we got to get through the second round. That still leaves us with some past Steeler greats like Antwaan Randle El, Lamarr Woodley, and the feared Jack Lambert. The Steelers have selected 9 players out of the second round in the past decade. Did these players prove they should've been first-round selections, or show why they weren't selected early? Let's list and grade 'em!

2013:

Le'Veon Bell, HB

Grade: 9/10

Oh, boy. In the words of thousands of Steeler fans, "Here we go". Le'Veon Bell was selected 48th overall out of Michigan State. Bell would start his career in a great way by being the starting back for the team and the Steelers had a lot of trust in him given that every game he had 13+ carries. With 244 carries, 860 yards rushing, and 8 touchdowns in 13 games, it was clear the Steelers have found their guy in the backfield. Bell would get a few accolades to his name in his rookie year. In a week 16 game vs. the Packers, Bell would rush 26 times for 124 yards and a touchdown, and for his effort in the win, Bell would earn the Joe Greene Great Performance Award - and break the Steelers franchise record for total scrimmage yards, previously owned by the late, great Franco Harris. But this wasn't even close to his peak, if anything, the Bell hasn't even started ringing yet. 

2014 would be the year Bell would prove to the league he had arrived. The former Spartan would go over 1,300 rushing yards off 290 carries and 8 touchdowns and zero fumbles! And forget 100+ yard games, the madman had a 200-yard game, too! That's not even mentioning the receiving yards! He had 854 receiving yards off 83 receptions and 3 touchdowns. Bell would earn even more accolades to his name. First Steelers player to have 100+ scrimmage yards in 7 consecutive games, Week 13 AFC Offensive Player of the Week, Steelers franchise record of 2,215 scrimmage yards (previously owned by Barry Foster with 2,034), FedEx Ground Player of the Year Award, Pro Bowl, first-team All-Pro, and #15 in the Top 100 NFL Players of 2014. What a season for Bell! Surely, next season his stock will only get higher! The keyword being higher because Le'Veon and other Steelers back LeGarrette Blount would get pulled over for DUI and marijuana possession. Bell would be suspended for the first two games of the season. Bell would resume his dominance in the backfield up until a Week 8 matchup vs. the Bengals where he would suffer a torn MCL after being tackled by linebacker Vontaze Burfict, who is one of cleanest players in the history of sarcasm. Bell would end the season having 556 rushing yards off 113 carries and 3 touchdowns. Despite the injury, he was still ranked 41st in the Top 100 NFL Players of 2015. A minor setback, but Bell could be up for a big bounce back! Bell would then be suspended for the first three games of the 2016 season for a missed drug test. Is anybody else getting Martavis Bryant vibes? 

Bell would return to action against Kansas City and play like he didn't just get his leg destroyed last year and rush for 144 yards off 18 carries. 2016 would be another elite year for Bell as he would run over 1,200 yards for 7 touchdowns and even got to play in his first playoff game! Bell would set many records in 2016, most rushing yards in a single game in Steelers franchise history vs. the Bills with 236 yards (previously owned by Willie Parker with 223), AFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 14, AFC Offensive Player of the Month in December, broke the Steelers franchise record for most rushing yards in a playoff game and then broke his record next week, became the first NFL player to go over 150 rushing yards in his first two playoff games, and #9 in NFL Top 100 Players of 2016. Another great season! But what does 2017 have in store? Well, no suspension is a great start but there is some animosity between the Steelers organization and Bell. Bell couldn't agree on any contract offers and would-be franchise tagged for 2017. Bell wasn't a fan of the move but still signed and played. 2017 would be yet another great season for Le'Veon. He would rush 1,291 yards off 321 carries and 9 touchdowns. Award-wise, Bell would be named Week 6 AFC Offensive Player of the Week, named Pro-Bowl and first-team All-Pro, AFC Offensive Player of the Month in December, and #5 in the Top 100 NFL Players of 2018. So far, so Bell. 

Now real quick my dear reader, are you enjoying the career of Le'Veon so far? If you are, well the ride is over now get off. If you thought the ride would've been longer, congratulations you are every Steelers fan ever. Yep, Le'Veon still couldn't agree on a deal and the Steelers did offer him another franchise tag but Bell refused to sign and would hold out for the year. Throughout the season, Bell would prove that whoever said that he was a "character pick" in the draft, is wrong. He would be seen throughout the season on jet skis in Miami, dropping rap tracks, being in strip clubs and even liking Steeler's losses on Instagram. The Steelers decided to cut their losses and let Bell walk. Funny he was on a jet ski because he was signed by the New York Jets. Bell would have 789 yards off 245 carries and 3 touchdowns in his first season as a Jet. A bit of a down year for Bell. Le'Veon would return to New York and suffer a hamstring injury in Week 1 after rushing for 14 yards. He would return in Week 5 and rush for 60 yards. After the game, Bell would like a tweet saying to trade him. However, nobody wanted him and he would instead be cut. He would be signed by the Chiefs for 1-year but wouldn't be a starter. He would be a free agent until the Ravens signed him to the practice squad and be activated in Week 4. He would later be released in mid-November. A month later, he would be signed by the Buccaneers and reunited with another infamous Steeler, Antonio Brown. He would be released towards the end of January and remains a free agent today. What a fall from grace! Despite this, you can't deny when Bell was playing in Pittsburgh, he was an amazing player. Just don't think about the ending. 

2014:

Stephon Tuitt, DL

Grade: 8/10

Stephon Tuitt was selected 46th overall out of Notre Dame. Tuitt wouldn't play much in his rookie year, but he did make a few highlights with a sack, 14 total tackles, and a forced fumble. In 2015, with the retirement of Brett Keisel, a starting defensive end position for Tuitt was wide open, like George Pickens, and he would earn the start. In 2015, he would play 874 snaps and register 7 sacks, 36 total tackles, and even an interception! A pretty good sophomore season! In 2016, Tuitt would return as the starting defensive end and it would be business as usual for him. 764 snaps for 4 sacks, 36 total tackles, and 3 pass deflections. Even won AFC Defensive Players of the Week in Week 11. For his efforts, the Steelers granted him a 5-year contract going into 2017. His first game wouldn't go well as he tore his biceps just 2 plays in and he wouldn't play until Week 4. Upon his return, he proved he was worth the money once again. He played 570 snaps, 3 sacks, 25 tackles, and 2 pass deflections. In 2018, it was business all over again. 694 snaps, 6 sacks, 35 tackles, and 4 pass deflections. In 2019 however, his season would be shortened due to a torn pec in Week 6. His season was looking great, too! 278 snaps, 4 sacks, and 17 tackles. Well, next season, Tuitt would show he's as elite as it comes. 779 snaps, 12 sacks, 37 tackles, and 2 forced fumbles along with AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 8! This would be his last season sadly, with a lingering knee injury and the very unfortunate death of his brother, Tuitt wouldn't play in 2021 and decided next season to retire from football. A very understandable but sad end to a great career. For what it's worth, at least his final season was probably his best. Miss you every day, Tuitt, and hope you're doing well! 

2015:

Senquez Golson, CB

Grade: 5/10

Senquez Golson was selected 56th overall out of Mississippi. His rookie season wouldn't happen though, as he underwent surgery on his shoulder that would be season-ending. In 2016, he injured his foot in practice and would be more serious than thought to be and needed surgery and it would end his season. In 2017, in the first practice in full pads, he would be carted off and eventually waived by the Steelers. He would spend time on the Buccaneers before being released and then signed by the Raiders but released again. 

2016:

Sean Davis, S

Grade: 6/10

Sean Davis was selected 58th overall out of Maryland. In his rookie year, Davis would start at the nickel cornerback spot but towards the middle of the season, he would start at strong safety n'at would be his primary position for a while. He would go on to play 742 snaps in total. He ended his rookie season quite strongly, with 1 interception, 62 total tackles, 3 sacks, and a fumble recovery, and even won the Steelers Rookie of the Year! Next season, it would be announced he would be the starting strong safety. Davis would play 949 snaps and have 87 total tackles, 3 interceptions, and a sack. In 2018, Davis would become the starting free safety with Terrell Edmunds taking over at strong safety. He would play 980 snaps and record 81 tackles and an interception. In 2019, Davis would be the starting free safety before suffering a shoulder injury and would be placed on the IR. He wouldn't get the starting job back with a new player from Miami coming in due to a trade, whoever he is, he probably won't even be worth a first-round pick. Think his name was Minkah Fitzpatrick or something. Davis would spend some time in Washington before being released before the season began. The Steelers would sign him again for 2020 and would only play 58 snaps but only record a single tackle. After this, he would spend some time on the Colts, Bengals, and Patriots, and now resides in the XFL on the Houston Roughnecks.

2017:

Juju Smith-Schuster, WR

Grade: 8/10

Super Bowl champ in the house! Juju Smith-Schuster was selected 62nd overall out of USC. It wouldn't take long for the former Trojan to start turning heads though! His first career touchdown came in Week 2 and was quickly becoming a friendly face with his positive and just-wanna-have-fun attitude. But in a game vs. Detroit was when he arrived. He would get his first start as a second-string receiver after Martavis Bryant was benched. Juju would go off and score a 97-yard touchdown and at the end of the game, 7 receptions, 193 yards, and a touchdown. In this effort, he would get AFC Offensive Player of the Week and have the record for the longest play in Steelers franchise history. From there, business kept picking up for Juju as he would have an additional 2 100-yard games, 3 touchdowns, a kick return touchdown, and a vicious block that laid out professional Steeler agitator, Vontaze Burfict. To end his rookie year, Juju would have 58 receptions, 917 yards, and 7 touchdowns. A fantastic start to his career but can he keep the momentum into his sophomore season? Well, in a word, yes. Juju would not only have a great season, but he would get Team MVP, Pro Bowl, and #47 overall on the Top 100 NFL Players of 2019. His numbers would challenge Antonio Brown's, with Juju having 111 receptions, 1,426 yards, 7 touchdowns, and even another 97-yard touchdown. Next year would be huge for Schuster though, as with Brown traded, he's now the starter. Would he exceed expectations? Well, in a word, no. It was a bit underwhelming. Smith-Schuster would play 12 games and have 42 receptions, 552 yards, and 3 touchdowns. 2019 was a bit of a dark year for Pittsburgh, losing Big Ben for the year and missing the playoffs. But in 2020, with Ben back and Juju back in full health, is it time Juju returns to his elite play, especially with it being a contract year for him? Well, in a word, yes, but nobody remembers it for one reason. See Juju did have a good season, 97 receptions, 831 yards, and 9 touchdowns, he didn't exactly post WR1 numbers but instead was posting elsewhere---TikTok. Juju was the main talking point due to his antics of dancing on some team's midfield logos before games and some took offense to it. Especially one Vonn Bell who hit him hard and caused Juju to fumble and the Steelers to lose the game to the Bengals. No, but seriously, what is with Juju and Bengal's players with the initials V.B.? Even in the playoffs, Juju would have a controversy with him insulting the Browns and then the Steelers losing the playoff game. Hopefully, Juju has learned his lesson as he was signed to a one-year contract. Just when it seems Juju has matured, he would suffer a shoulder injury and be out for the whole year of 2021 but would return in one final game in the playoffs vs. the Chiefs. He would only have 5 receptions for 26 yards but it meant a lot for him to be there for Big Ben's final game. He wouldn't be re-signed after 2021. Juju in 2022 would sign a 1-year contract with the last team he faced in the black and gold uniform, the Kansas City Chiefs. He would go on to play AND WIN THE SUPER BOWL. And now resides in New England, after signing a 4-year deal. And guess who the Steelers face next year? Good thing it's in Foxborough though, because I'm pretty sure he would be a wanted man if he danced on the midfield logo in Pittsburgh. 

2018:

James Washington, WR

Grade: 6/10

James Washington was selected 60th overall out of Oklahoma State. His first year wouldn't see a ton of action but his first reception would be a touchdown against Kansas City. His sophomore year, however, would be a good year for the former Cowboy. And makes sense, his college QB was at the helm for most of the time. He would get 44 receptions, 735 yards, and 3 touchdowns in a good year for James. 2019 wouldn't be as good, with the likes of Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson taking over but Washington still tried to make it count. 30 receptions, 392 yards, and 5 touchdowns off 322 snaps. 2021 would prove to be about the same with 24 receptions, 285 yards, and 2 touchdowns off 357 snaps. After this season, Washington would go to the Dallas Cowboys, rejoining the Cowboy name from Oklahoma State. However, an injury would keep him off the field until December but never really was able to get off the bench and was released about a month later. He spent some time on the Giants practice squad but now resides as a free agent. Not a ton of playing time but hey a little bit of a break from a receiver with TikTok antics. 

2020: 

Chase Claypool, WR

Grade: 7/10

Well, back to the TikTok antics. Chase Claypool was selected 49th overall out of Notre Dame. Claypool would start strong with his career touchdown coming in Week 2 vs. Denver scored an 84-yard touchdown. But in Week 5 vs. the Eagles was when Claypool started to make highlights. He had 7 receptions, 110 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown! For his efforts, he was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week. His season was full of highlights as he ended his rookie year with 62 receptions, 873 yards, and 9 touchdowns and was looking like the next big thing. At 6'4 and speed and good hands, Claypool was looking like the next great Steeler receiver early on. Wait, I've seen this before!

So, Claypool, next year, wouldn't put up the same numbers as he did his rookie year. He would get 860 yards but only 2 touchdowns to show for it off 59 receptions but 7 DROPS! Now setbacks are common so what's the issue? He was acting like a bigger deal than he was. He would boast a lot during the prime of the Steelers undefeated streak, he would talk trash to the Browns EVEN after the Browns embarrassed the Steelers in a playoff game, and he would suggest the Steelers played music when some players questioned how practice goes proving he can read a room like JaMarcus Russell watches film, and the straw that broke the camel's back for a lot of fans, the Steelers were coming back from a 29-0 lead vs. the Vikings and were down 28-36 with not a lot of time and no timeouts so stopping the clock with spikes and getting out of bounds was crucial. The Steelers would convert a 4th and 1 thanks to Claypool and get to the Vikings 35-yard line with about 30 seconds left. time was ticking but Claypool remembered the old quote, "It's not about winning, it's about having fun". So he would take the time to celebrate the first down instead of letting the Steelers spike the ball and the Steelers would lose crucial time. Claypool would go on to blame everyone else but himself. He would have a good season but with the Antonio Brown demons still haunting them, the Steelers don't want any more drama in their receiving room. "Maple-Tron" basically became a scientific experiment the way he was put under a microscope. With 2022 on the horizon, Claypool already set himself up for big expectations as he would say during the offseason he's a "top 3 receiver". Up to Week 8, Claypool would put up 32 receptions, 311 yards, 1 touchdown, and even a passing touchdown. While the passing touchdown is impressive, other stats don't show "top 3 receiver" numbers so the Steelers would trade him to Chicago for a pick that has aged incredibly since then with the Steelers having the first 2nd round pick of the draft (and with Miami having their first-round pick revoked, it's basically a first-round pick). With the Steelers track record of getting talented receivers without using a top pick, this may be the most infamous pick since Martavis Bryant. Both have great speed, size, and hands but ultimately, wouldn't work out in the end. 

2021:

Pat Freiermuth, TE

Grade: 7/10

MUUUUUUTH! Pat Freiermuth was selected 55th overall out of Penn State. Freiermuth quickly became a fan favorite with Steeler fans as it's not every day that fans will use your name to imitate a chant from the last truly great Steeler tight end, Heath Miller. Since Miller retired, the Steelers have been searching for the next elite tight end. Ladarius Green? Injury-prone. Jesse James? Inconsistent. Vance McDonald? Retired. Eric Ebron? Dropsies. Pat Freiermuth? Yes. Freiermuth didn't have incredible stats to start his career but he was becoming more reliable as the games went by with rare drops, big gains, and also excellent blocking. His rookie season was a good start with 60 receptions, 497 yards, and 7 touchdowns. But his sophomore year would be the one that made fans more excited. More involvement for Freiermuth and other guys like Zach Gentry and Connor Heyward may be the sign the tight-end position is becoming relevant again in Pittsburgh. Even when Freiermuth isn't involved in running the routes, his blocking helps Pickett find his other targets. Freiermuth improved his game with 63 receptions, 732 yards, and 2 touchdowns. The best part though? He hasn't even hit his stride yet. Have the Steelers finally found the answer at tight end after searching since 2016? Freiermuth is looking like the problem for other defenses and the solution to the Steelers tight end needs.

2022:

George Pickens, WR

Grade: 7/10

The last few drafts have featured the talents of Kenny Pickett, Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, Pat Freiermuth, and George Pickens. If that isn't "The Fatal Five" potential, I don't know what is. And yes, I'm getting my copyrights on that name. George Pickens was selected 52nd overall out of Georgia. NFL Youngboy has only been around 1 year and is already being said to be the Steelers #1 receiver. Are the Steelers gonna go for it? Not a chance because Diontae Johnson is still here but the fact people already want it, speaks volumes. It took Pickens a bit to get started due to Canada not being able to fit him in the offensive scheme quite yet. But when Pickens got involved more for the first time, he got over 100 yards receiving off 6 receptions. And also keep in mind, in nearly every game, he makes highlight-worthy catches where some are legit contenders to O'Dell Beckham's catch in 2014. Speaking of O'Dell, hey Beckham guess we're playing you twice a year now? Anyway, Pickens's rookie season was met with a lot of smiles on the faces of Steeler fans with the Steelers front office, once again, getting a talented receiver to their roster. Can the Pickett-Pickens connection stay plugged in? We'll find out in a few months!

For the Round 3 review (ft. James Conner, Javon Hargrave, Diontae Johnson, and more!), click here: 

https://www.yinzercrazy.com/steelers-last-decade-of-drafting-round-3-review

For the Round 4 review (ft. Martavis Bryant, Kevin Dotson, Dan Moore, and more!), click here: 

https://www.yinzercrazy.com/steelers-last-decade-of-drafting-round-4-review

For the Round 5 review (ft. Jesse James, Zach Gentry, Jaylen Samuels, and more!), click here:

https://www.yinzercrazy.com/steelers-last-decade-of-drafting-round-5-review

For the Round 6 review (ft. Vince Williams, Connor Heyward, Isaiah Buggs, and more!), click here: 

https://www.yinzercrazy.com/steelers-last-decade-of-drafting-round-6-review

For the Round 7 review (ft. Tyler Matakevich, Pressley Harvin, Tre Norwood, and more!), click here:

https://www.yinzercrazy.com/steelers-last-decade-of-drafting-round-7-review

See Yinz next week for the much-anticipated first-round review featuring the likes of Najee Harris, Jarvis Jones, and T.J. Watt! Will we end the series with our first 10/10 draftee, and who was the biggest bust in the last 10 years? Find out next week!