Be warned that I’m going to say something here that is going to ruffle the feathers of many Pittsburgh Steelers fans. And while some of this is hindsight, a lot of this could be seen coming a mile away and is now coming to fruition.

One of the biggest factors in why the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to struggle with getting over the playoff hump is because of a failed 2020 NFL draft. And when we say failed, yes we include the 2019 trade that cost the Steelers a first-round pick in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Is Fitzpatrick a great player? Yes. Has he been a great player for the entirety of his time in Pittsburgh? No. That No. 18 pick could have been used much better for a position of need.

If the Steelers don’t trade for Fitzpatrick, they keep that pick and could have used it to select a generational talent who could have really helped this team down the line.

2020 NFL redraft

First round – WR Justin Jefferson

The Steelers viewed wide receiver as a top need based on how the rest of the draft played out and Jefferson has established himself a one of the three best receivers in the league.

Second round – QB Jalen Hurts

Ben Roethlisberger is coming off an awful injury where he missed almost an entire season and could have really used a plan beyond what they had at quarterback. Hurts has quickly become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

You could leave every other pick exactly the same and this becomes the draft that turns the Steelers franchise around. Pittsburgh was already ridiculously invested in defense so this draft bringing the offense up to speed made far more sense.

So in the final analysis, the Steelers could have had Jefferson and Hurts but instead got Fitzpatrick and Claypool. Of all the questionable moves this team has made or not, none sting quite like this except for passing on Lamar Jackson for Terrell Edmunds in the 2018 NFL draft and ranks well ahead of the Steelers trading up for linebacker Devin Bush in the 2019 NFL draft.