Steelers 2010 NFL Draft class among the NFL’s best in the last 15 years, per PFF

The Pittsburgh Steelers are known as an organization which does things the old school way. They build through the NFL Draft, and don’t tend to make the big splash moves to build their roster.

While trying to build things this way is easy to say, it is more difficult to hit more home runs in the draft than strikeouts when the 3-day selection process begins. At Pro Football Focus (PFF), they ranked the best draft classes of the PFF era, the past 15 years, and the Steelers had one of those draft classes which made the Top 10.

Before getting to the list, here is a little breakdown of what PFF did, and the process to getting this list to 10 teams:

The competition to make this list was so stiff that a class with three first-team All-Pros — the 2016 Tennessee Titans with Jack Conklin, Derrick Henry and Kevin Byard — didn’t make the cut (a different Titans draft did, however). Positional value was slightly taken into account for this, but not to the degree to which PFF WAR suggests as to not simply make this a list of the best quarterbacks drafted over the past 15 years.

Okay, let’s take a look at the Top 10, and how the Steelers 2010 NFL Draft class ranked 7th on the list...

1. 2017 New Orleans Saints

1(11): CB Marshon Lattimore

1(32): OT Ryan Ramczyk

2(42): S Marcus Williams

3(67): RB Alvin Kamara

3(76): LB Alex Anzalone

3(103): EDGE Trey Hendrickson

6(196): EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad

---

2. 2010 Seattle Seahawks

1(6): OT Russell Okung

1(14): S Earl Thomas

2(60): WR Golden Tate

4(111): CB Walter Thurmond

4(127): EDGE E.J. Wilson

5(133): S Kam Chancellor

6(185): TE Anthony McCoy

7(236): LB Dexter Davis

7(245): TE Jameson Konz

---

3. 2018 Baltimore Ravens

1 (25): TE Hayden Hurst

1(32): QB Lamar Jackson

3(83): OT Orlando Brown Jr.

3(86): TE Mark Andrews

4(118): CB Anthony Averett

4(122): LB Kenny Young

4(132): WR Jaleel Scott

5(162): WR Jordan Lasley

6(190): S DeShon Elliott

6(212): OT Greg Senat

6(215): OC Bradley Bozeman

7(238): DT Zach Sieler

---

4. 2012 Seattle Seahawks

1(15): EDGE Bruce Irvin

2(47): LB Bobby Wagner

3(75): QB Russell Wilson

4(106): RB Robert Turbin

4(114): DT Jaye Howard

5(154): LB Korey Toomer

6(172): CB Jeremy Lane

6(181): DB Winston Guy

7(225): OG J.R. Sweezy

7(232): EDGE Greg Scruggs

---

5. 2014 Oakland Raiders

1(5): EDGE Khalil Mack

2(36): QB Derek Carr

3(81): OG Gabe Jackson

4(107): DT Justin Ellis

4(116): DB Keith McGill

7(219): CB T.J. Carrie

7(235): DT Shelby Harris

7(247): DB Jonathan Dowling

---

6. 2019 Tennessee Titans

1 (19): DI Jeffrey Simmons

2 (51): WR A.J. Brown

3 (82): OG Nate Davis

4 (116): S Amani Hooker

5 (168): EDGE D’Andre Walker

6 (188): LB David Long

---

7. 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers

1(18): OC Maurkice Pouncey

2(52): EDGE Jason Worilds

3(82): WR Emmanuel Sanders

4(116): EDGE Thaddeus Gibson

5(151): OG Chris Scott

5(164): DB Crezdon Butler

5(166): LB Stevenson Sylvester

6(188): RB Jonathan Dwyer

6(195): WR Antonio Brown

7(242): DT Doug Worthington

Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders and Maurkice Pouncey are all household names. Their inclusion needs no justification. Where this draft jumps the superb 2018 Colts haul, though, is the addition of Jason Worilds. If you weren’t following the Steelers or football closely in the early 2010s, you may have forgotten how good a player the Virginia Tech product was. Worilds developed into a quality starting edge with top-20 grades in his final two seasons as a Steeler. After playing 2014 on the transition tag, Worilds was set to hit free agency in 2015. Instead of signing a big money deal, though, he shockingly retired to pursue other interests. Still only 34 years old, there’s no telling where Worilds could have ended up.

---

8. 2018 Indianapolis Colts

1(6): OG Quenton Nelson

2(36): LB Darius Leonard

2(37): OG Braden Smith

2(52): ED Kemoko Turay

2(64): ED Tyquan Lewis

4(104): RB Nyheim Hines

5(159): WR Daurice Fountain

5(169): RB Jordan Wilkins

6(185): WR Deon Cain

7(221): LB Matthew Adams

7(235): LB Zaire Franklin

---

9. 2006 Denver Broncos

1(11): QB Jay Cutler

2(61): TE Tony Scheffler

4(119): WR Brandon Marshall

4(126): ED Elvis Dumervil

4(130): WR Domenik Hixon

5(161): G Chris Kuper

6(198): C Greg Eslinger

---

10. 2006 New Orleans Saints

1(2): RB Reggie Bush

2(43): S Roman Harper

4(108): OT Jahri Evans

5(135): ED Rob Ninkovich

6(171): WR Mike Hass

7(210): OT Zach Strief

7(252): WR Marques Colston

---

After looking at the above list, what do you think of the Steelers 2010 class being where it is ranked? Is it ranked too high? Too low? Are they even worthy of being on the list? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below, and be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the rest of the offseason, and training camp on July 26th at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.