As a big Michigan fan I remember on draft day thinking wow why is this guy falling so far he had unreal talent but all the questions about his size and character dropped him pretty far and I remember thinking he was a steal at the end of the first round. I think he was actually the only WR in the first round that year I bet alotta teams wish they woulda taken a flyer on him
He was indeed the first and only WR taken in the draft that year. He's a solid pro and has big play capability but I'd take any of these guys before him in that draft. Greg Jennings rd.2, Brandon Marshall rd.4, Marques Colston 3 spots away from the last pick. Marshall, Colston, Jennings, Holmes. In that order. The NFL draft is such a crapshoot overall and I think WR is the hardest to accurately predict after QB.
I remember the draft, someone at his draft party jumped in front of the camera with a Steelers jersey.
I remember him at OSU and nothing about his draft position. Year after year the Steelers are incredible at drafting good players in the mid rounds.
You have to wonder if he would shine more if he had a bigger role? Don't think he'll ever play a significant role in PIT though.
Yeah, if he were in more of a big-play offense like the Saints or something simlar, he'd probably have much bigger numbers. He'll probably get more balls now that Hines Ward seems to be on the downside of his career ... but he'll never be fully used to his abilities in Pittsburgh I don't think. I think that's part of the reason Plaxico left a few years ago.
Steelers let Plaxico walk, because he wouldn't run routes and was a knucklehead. Higher ups hated that Roethlisberger and Plaxico would basically do their own thing; they felt it would stunt Ben's growth as a QB. At least, that is what I remember. Maybe I'm in denial/read a biased article planted from a GM.
Yeah, I was just speculating that the role of a WR in Pittsburgh might have had something to do with it too. It's tough to be a glorified receiver there...it takes a while and you have to do a lot more than just catch the ball, like Hines.
7/28/2006: Signed a five-year, $8.11 million contract. The deal includes $5.42 million guaranteed. 2009: $700,000, 2010: $755,000, 2011: Free Agent Pretty good contract for the Steelers currently, but I'm assuming it'll be reworked before it ends.
In the 2005 draft teams drafted Braylon Edwards, Mike Willams, Matt Jones, Mark Clayton and Roddy White all in the first round. None of them had much success in their rookie years so the next year everyone in the NFL decided that you don't want to take WR's in the first round; so in 2006, they all fell.
