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Pittsburgh Steelers top 10 first-round selections of all time

By Russell S. Baxter

Hall of Fame defensive tackle "Mean" Joe Greene (75) of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the Steelers 35-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII on January 21, 1979 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Ross Lewis/Getty Images)
Hall of Fame defensive tackle "Mean" Joe Greene (75) of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the Steelers 35-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII on January 21, 1979 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Ross Lewis/Getty Images) /
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Pittsburgh Steelers
PITTSBURGH, PA – NOVEMBER 30: Safety Troy Polamalu #43 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts after a play during a game against the New Orleans Saints at Heinz Field on November 30, 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Saints defeated the Steelers 35-32. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

3. DB Troy Polamalu (2003)

It was impossible to ignore his amazing athleticism. Thanks to a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers were able to secure the services of USC safety Troy Polamalu. He didn’t make much of an impact as a rookie but in 2004 he made his presence felt in a big way. The strong safety had a nose for the ball and his instincts were unparalleled.

He racked up 32 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries, five of those 39 takeaways returned for scores. He also took back a Joe Flacco pick for a touchdown in the 2008 AFC title game. The eight-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2020.

2. QB Terry Bradshaw (1970)

It took the first overall pick in the 1970 NFL Draft a few years to put it all together. But once Terry Bradshaw got comfortable with who he was and what his team was trying to do, the Pittsburgh Steelers were about to embark on a run that saw them crowned the “Team of the ‘70s.” Those first two Super Bowl runs were based mainly on defense and the running game, with Bradshaw coming up big on Super Sunday.

With the rules changes in 1978, Chuck Noll decided to air it out a little more and the strong-armed Bradshaw was up to the task. Far from perfect, he was MVP of Super Bowls XIII and XIV. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.

1. DT Joe Greene (1969)

From 1933-68, the franchise appeared in one playoff game and that was a 21-0 loss to the Eagles in 1947. The Pittsburgh Steelers hired Chuck Noll as their head coach in 1969. With the fourth overall pick that year, the team opted for North Texas State defensive tackle Joe Greene. It would prove to be a turning point for the franchise.

Greene was NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year on a 1-13 team. The Steelers got gradually better and were on their way to winning four Super Bowls in a six-year span. “Mean Joe” spent 13 seasons in Pittsburgh. He was a 10-time Pro Bowler, a four-time All-Pro, a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and was enshrined in Canton in 1987.

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