3 players the Pittsburgh Steelers gave up on way too soon

2. Emmanuel Sanders, wide receiver

Have I mentioned the Pittsburgh Steelers have been absolute masters in the art of drafting offensive skill players?

If it hasn’t been said enough, it needs to be said again. They know how to draft offensive skill players better than most teams, especially beyond the first round. Yet another example of that is their selection of former SMU star receiver Emmanuel Sanders, a third-round pick (82nd overall) in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Sanders was a key role player for the Steelers for his first couple of seasons, returning kicks and some punts while racking up 93 total targets in the passing game from 2010-11. It was his third NFL season that Sanders really started to get some decent run with the Steelers’ offense, and he had a mini breakout campaign with 44 receptions on 75 targets, the most of his NFL career to that point.

In his fourth season, Sanders made himself a coveted free agent by catching 67 passes for 740 yards and six touchdowns. It was enough to draw the attention of the Denver Broncos, who were fresh off of the most prolific offensive season in the history of the league. Denver lost wide receiver Eric Decker in free agency to the Jets and was somehow able to get Sanders at a bargain deal.

What’s more for the Broncos, Sanders actually canceled a visit with the Kansas City Chiefs in order to go and sign to play with Peyton Manning.

Sanders showed his potential in Pittsburgh, but that potential was fully realized in Denver where he became a Pro Bowl receiver. In his first season with the Broncos, Sanders caught 101 passes for 1,404 yards and nine touchdowns. That would begin a stretch of three straight 1,000-yard seasons from Sanders, who also became one of the best receivers in Denver Broncos history from 2014-19.

After being traded to the 49ers, Sanders got a shot at a second Super Bowl, but the Niners let Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs come back to win it.

He played through the 2020 season in New Orleans and in 2021 with Buffalo, all in all amassing over 7,000 receiving yards and 40 touchdowns in his NFL career outside of Pittsburgh.