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Before The 49ers Traded Up, Steelers Planned To Draft Jerry Rice

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a rich history at wide receiver. Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, a dynamic duo of the 1970s. Hines Ward, an old-school player in the modern game. And on the field, Antonio Brown was as dominant a player in his prime as the franchise has ever seen. Had things broke just a little bit differently in the 1985 NFL Draft, Jerry Rice would’ve been part of that list.

Revealed by Steelers.com’s Bob Labriola during an Asked and Answered segment on the team website Thursday, Labriola shared the story of Pittsburgh planning to draft Rice 20th overall in the ’85 Draft, unconcerned about his small school and slow 40.