Steelers NFL Draft: 5 best day 3 picks since 2000

The best value picks for the Steelers this century

Happy Easter to everyone, hopefully today is a lovely day with your families.

The NFL Draft is less than a month away, and while all of the attention will be on the early-round players, we know that there will be some gems in the late-rounds as there always is.

The Steelers have had their fair share of key players that have contributed to Super Bowl victories and have become some of the best players in franchise history after being overlooked until late in the draft. These are the five best day three picks (rounds 4-7) for the Steelers since 2000.

Honorable mentions: William Gay, Vince Williams, Martavis Bryant

LB Clark Haggans (5th round, 2000)

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Rest in peace to Clark Haggans and continued condolences to his loved ones. The Steelers’ late great was a fifth-round selection out of Colorado State, and was one of the franchise’s most underrated players of the decade. He became a full-time starter in 2004, and was part of the Steelers’ Super Bowl XL team. He left Pittsburgh after the 2007 season, where he continued his career with the Arionza Cardinals, closing out his career in 2012 with the San Francisco 49ers.

DE Brett Keisel (7th round, 2002)

Keisel had a great career with the Steelers that lasted 12 years. After being a seventh-round pick out of BYU in 2002, Keisel carved out a long career for himself. He appeared in all 16 games in 2005 when the Steelers won Super Bowl XL over the Seattle Seahawks, and was a full-time starter in 2006. Keisel helped the Steelers win a second Super Bowl in 2008 in Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizona Cardinals. Keisel was a Pro Bowler in 2010, and the Steelers once again made it to the Super Bowl that season. He retired after the 2014 season.

CB Ike Taylor (4th round, 2003)

Taylor was the starting cornerback for all three Steelers’ teams that made it to the Super Bowl from 2005-10. Taylor became a starter in 2005, leading a young secondary comprised of other young players including Troy Polamalu and Bryant McFadden. Taylor didn’t miss a game from 2004-11, and helped bring the Steelers two Super Bowl rings.

LB Larry Foote (4th round, 2002)

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From the same draft class, the Steelers picked up another integral part of their dominant defenses of the mid-2000s in the fourth round when they selected Larry Foote out of Michigan. Foote became a full-time starter in 2004 when the Steelers began a six-year stretch of having the best defense in football. Pittsburgh went 15-1 that season and made it to the AFC Championship Game, and went on to win the aforementioned Super Bowls, both of which Foote was a starter in the middle of the defense. From 2004-08, Foote didn’t miss a game. He was as reliable health wise as he was on the field. While he may not have gotten the personal accolades, he and James Farrior were vital pieces in the middle that the Steelers wouldn’t have won those Super Bowls without.

WR Antonio Brown (6th round, 2010)

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No surprises here. After being selected in the sixth round out of Central Michigan in 2010, Brown went on to become the most dominant receiver of the decade, and the best receiver in the history of the Steelers. He had six consecutive seasons of 100 receptions, leading the NFL in 2014 and 2015 with 129 and 136 catches, respectively. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro with the Steelers, and is one of the greatest receivers to ever live.