All the warning signs were there in plain daylight when the Steelers were on the clock in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Pre-draft evaluations of Pickens told the story of a talented player who couldn't get out of his own way. Maturity issues overshadowed his success in college, and so far, it's been the same story in the NFL .

Wallace and Smith-Schuster were declining in their final years with the Steelers before going to new teams. Wallace's yards per game dropped from 74.6 in 2011 to 55.7 in 2012, then he signed with the Miami Dolphins prior to the 2013 season.