The Pittsburgh Steelers had a respectable duo at wide receiver in Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes, one in which that helped lead the team to a Super Bowl victory in 2008. 

Those two weren’t going to be around for much longer, though, as Ward was nearing the end of his career and Holmes’ rookie deal was coming to an end. 

The Steelers decided to address the position through the draft, selecting a trio of wide receivers in 2009 and 2010.


 

Sound familiar?

It’s been well documented that the Philadelphia Eagles have undergone a makeover at receiver. Like Pittsburgh, the Eagles saw the duo of DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin reaching its limit. A little different situation, of course, being that both players were still on the rise whereas Ward was at the end of his tenure. 

Yet, Chip Kelly came in and saw a duo that potentially wouldn’t last. Jackson was on the outs because he just didn’t mesh with Kelly and his system while Maclin bet on himself with a one-year deal, which the team knew could mean a big payday in the future. Within two years, both Pro Bowl players were elsewhere. 

Just as Mike Tomlin did, Kelly looked towards the draft. 

In 2009, the Steelers used a third-round pick on Mike Wallace. The following season, Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown were selected via a third and sixth round pick, respectively. 

That trio went on to have some success in Pittsburgh before each going its own way. Brown has emerged as one of the best at the position, Sanders became one of the most dangerous slot receivers and Wallace is next to Jackson as one of the best home-run hitters.

 

Those three are all proven commodities, which makes this comparison hard to comprehend at first. Yet, the Eagles have followed that route. 

In 2014, the team used two selections to grab Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff. Matthews quickly burst onto the scene to become one of the top slot guys in the NFL. Huff hardly made a dent in year one, but in limited time, flashed some life. 

This offseason, the Eagles spent a first-round pick on Nelson Agholor with the hopes that he can take on the form of a No. 1 receiver. 

Obviously there’s still much to prove between all three guys, but remember, those three Steelers wideouts weren’t overnight sensations, either. Like Huff, Brown’s rookie season was forgetful with just 16 catches. He didn’t score his first touchdown until year two and didn’t become a full-time starter until 2013. The same can be said for Sanders, who took a few years before really turning into a threat. 

It may be a stretch to imagine the trio of Agholor, Matthews and Huff becoming the next Brown, Sanders and Wallace, but give it some time. Matthews is on the verge of a 1,000-yard season, Agholor is a preseason favorite for Rookie of the Year and Huff has breakout written all over him.

Kyle Phillippi is the Philadelphia Eagles beat writer for About.com. You can follow him on Twitter, @Kyle_Phillippi. Be sure to LIKE our Facebook page!