The Pittsburgh Steelers have not drafted a wide receiver in the first round since 2006 when they took Santonio Holmes out of Ohio State. Holmes went on to be a Super Bowl hero for the team, catching the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII. While Holmes didn’t set the world on fire as a rookie, he had a productive season, catching 49 balls for 824 yards and two touchdowns. That earned him an 80.1 grade from PFF, which is the highest grade a rookie has had since 2006 for the Steelers.
“Holmes did not see the field much early on in his rookie season (he played just 94 snaps through the first five games) but earned an every-down role as the season progressed,” PFF’s Ryan Smith wrote.