We talk a lot about how the Pittsburgh Steelers first two selections have to find the field right away. That’s why best player available is an oversimplification. It’s not true. It’s a mixture. Where value and need intersect the best and that’s why the Steelers selected a safety in the first round last year, not a defensive end.
But we’ve always spoken about it abstractly. Never put it to the test. So let’s change that. Going back since 2013, I compiled the snap percentage totals, thanks to Football Outsiders for the data, of the Steelers’ 1st through 3rd round picks to see how much they really played in year one.