Pittsburgh Steelers: Top 5 wide receivers from the 2010s
By Samuel Teets
4. Emmanuel Sanders (2010-13)
While Pittsburgh originally drafted Sanders, he experienced the bulk of his success with the Denver Broncos and Peyton Manning. Nevertheless, Sanders still played a measurable role on the Steelers for four seasons, including helping the team reach the Super Bowl in his rookie season.
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The Steelers selected Sanders in the third round, with the 82nd overall pick. At SMU, Sanders set school records with 285 receptions, 3,791 yards and 34 touchdowns during his four-year collegiate career. However, he served as Ben Roethlisberger‘s fourth receiving option as a rookie.
Sanders did see his role increase over time, becoming Big Ben’s second option by 2013. However, it became clear that Antonio Brown, not Sanders, was the future in Pittsburgh. In 2014, Sanders signed with the Broncos and went on to post three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
Sanders went to his third Super Bowl this past season with his third different team. Now, he joins Drew Brees in New Orleans as the two veterans search for their second Lombardi Trophies.
While the former SMU standout is the second-most accomplished and possibly the second-most talented player on this list, Sanders falls to fourth because he never played an enormous role in Pittsburgh’s offense. His best year with the Steelers came in 2013 when he caught 67 passes for 740 yards and six touchdowns.