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Antonio Brown entered the 2010 NFL Combine looking for a strong performance to help his stock ahead of the NFL Draft. While he put together a solid college football career, he didn't come from a notable program or a Power Five conference. He instead attended Central Michigan in the Mid-Atlantic Conference, so his relatively weak competition made him a questionable prospect at best.
This situation happens every year at the NFL Combine, but that's what the event was created for in the first place. It allows for all NFL Draft prospects to show off their skills in front of scouts and executives representing every NFL team. Strong showings can help give teams confidence in selecting certain players when they are on the clock on draft day.
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With a big day at the 2010 NFL Combine, Antonio Brown could have skyrocketed up the draft boards for many NFL teams. But that's not the way things worked out for him. He was measured as an undersized wide receiver, listed at just 5'10" and weighing 186 pounds. The main thing that can make up for a lack of size is blazing speed, but he didn't show that during his workouts either.
Antonio Brown recorded just a mediocre 4.56 seconds in the 40-yard dash. His time may have been acceptable for a massively sized wide receiver, but as someone who measured relatively small, his overall athleticism was considered to be a major liability. His disappointing 33.5-inch vertical jump and 8'9" broad jump further raised concerns about his outlook.
To top all of the negativity off about his draft profile, he was also nearly 22 years old during the process. This is on the older side for potential draft prospects. All of this added up to making Antonio Brown slip way down in the 2010 NFL Draft.
He lasted all the way to the sixth round when the Pittsburgh Steelers took a risk on him with the 195th overall pick. Their gamble quickly paid off as Brown developed into a superstar.
Antonio Brown was an absolute steal in the 2010 NFL Draft
After serving as a backup for most of his rookie year with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Antonio Brown quickly became a reliable target for Ben Roethlisberger in just his second season. He began a stretch of eight years where he exceeded 1,100 yards seven times and recorded at least 100 receptions six times.
Brown led the entire NFL in receptions and yards twice each, while also leading all players in receiving touchdowns once. He was selected to the Pro Bowl seven times, while also being chosen as an All-Pro for five consecutive seasons. He has totaled the second-most career receiving yards in franchise history, trailing only Hine Ward.
It's a shame things ended so controversially for him in Pittsburgh because he was one of the most productive Steelers of all time. He's also one of the best late-round picks in NFL Draft history for how much he outperformed his projections as a prospect.
