PITTSBURGH — The 2026 NFL Draft arrives at Acrisure Stadium in six days, but the bar for “draft day steals” was set 52 years ago by a slender receiver from Alabama A&M. While the modern scouting world obsesses over every frame of digital tape, the Steelers built a dynasty on a fourth-round flyer that the rest of the league missed.
The HBCU Gem That Changed Everything
John Stallworth wasn’t supposed to be a legend. In 1974, scouts largely ignored historically Black colleges, leaving a massive talent gap for the Steelers to exploit. Pittsburgh had already burned a first-round pick on Lynn Swann, but they went back to the well 61 picks later to snag Stallworth at No. 82 overall. It remains the most lethal “double-dip” at receiver in league history.
Stallworth didn’t just play; he rose when the lights got bright. His stats—8,723 yards and 63 touchdowns—only tell half the story. The real proof sits in the jewelry. During Super Bowl XIII, he torched the Dallas Cowboys for 115 yards and two scores. A year later, with the Steelers trailing the Los Angeles Rams, Stallworth hauled in a 73-yard bomb from Terry Bradshaw to snatch the lead for good. That single play defined the 1970s era.
Even as he aged, Stallworth defied the clock. At 32, an age when most receivers are looking for coaching jobs, he put up a monstrous 1,395 yards and 11 touchdowns in 1984. He retired as the franchise leader in every major category, a title he held until the Hines Ward era. Only Ward and Antonio Brown have ever surpassed his career yardage in the black and gold.
Ranking Stallworth at No. 7 highlights just how deep this franchise’s draft history runs. He sits behind only a handful of icons, yet his value as a fourth-rounder is almost peerless. As the current Steelers front office prepares for the 21st overall pick next Thursday, the pressure is on to find a player who can match this level of longevity and postseason ice.
This countdown continues tomorrow as we break into the top five. With names like Joe Greene, Jack Ham, and Mike Webster still on the board, the debate over who truly reigns supreme as the greatest Steelers pick of all time is about to get heated.
