Leading up to 2006, the Pittsburgh Pirates had actually done fairly well with their first-round picks. After the draft blunder of Bryan Bullington in 2002, the Pirates had selected Paul Maholm in 2003, Neil Walker in 2004 and Andrew McCutchen in 2005. But in 2006, the Pirates would run into yet another first round pick that would end up being a failed prospect when they selected Brad Lincoln with the 4th overall selection in the draft.
Lincoln was drafted out of the University of Houston, the same college that produced former Pittsburgh Pirates ace Doug Drabek.