The first franchise to win six Super Bowls has lots of success in the first round of the NFL draft. That wasn’t always the case for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It’s a proud franchise that was born in 1933 and formerly known as the Pirates. The Pittsburgh Steelers overcame nearly 40 years of ineptitude to become the most successful NFL team since the merger. And over the last half-century plus, the hits certainly outweigh the misses.
Here’s a look at how well the team has drafted in the first round under the Common Era, which began in 1967. There is a slew of Hall of Fame performers.
Pittsburgh Steelers top 10 first-round picks in franchise history
10. C Maurkice Pouncey (2010)
The Steelers have enjoyed quite the legacy when it comes to the center position. Mike Webster was a fifth-round pick in 1974 (Wisconsin) and was part of four Super Bowl championship teams. He wound up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Dermontti Dawson was a second-round selection in 1988 (Kentucky). He also has a bust in Canton, Ohio.
Could Maurkice Pouncey soon follow this pair of performers into the Hall? The 18th overall pick in 2010 was on the field for 10 seasons (missing 2015). He also missed all but one game in 2013. His other nine campaigns resulted in Pro Bowl invitations, and he was named All-Pro in 2011 and ’14.
9. DE Cameron Heyward (2011)
He is one of two active players on this list and this interior defensive presence has seemingly gotten better with age. Cameron Heyward was the next-to-last pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, a couple of months after the Steelers appeared in Super Bowl XLV. He played in every game for the team in each of his first five seasons. He was limited to seven contests in 2016. Heyward amassed 25.0 sacks in those half-dozen seasons.
The former Ohio State product has been a beast ever since. He’s rolled up 53.5 QB traps and seven takeaways. The one-time Buckeye has been named to six consecutive Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro accolades three times.
8. OLB T.J. Watt (2017)
University of Wisconsin defender T.J. Watt was chosen with the 30th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. There were certainly some expectations considering he is the younger brother of now-retired superstar and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt. So far so good for the six-year pro, who comes off an injury-plagued season in which he managed career lows in games played (10) and sacks (5.5).
Still, Watt has been outstanding during his brief career. He’s already amassed 77.5 sacks and 23 forced fumbles in only 87 regular-season contests. The five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2021.
7. DB Rod Woodson (1987)
Another Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Steelers used the 10th overall pick in 1987 to grab Purdue University defensive back Rod Woodson. He was a standout on punt and kickoff returns his first two seasons and collected 10 takeaways along the way. The ball-hawking defender would be named to six straight Pro Bowls starting in 1989 and earned All-Pro accolades five times.
In 10 seasons with the Steelers, he picked off 38 passes, five returned for TDs. Woodson would go on to play for the 49ers, Ravens, and Raiders. He ranks third in NFL history with 71 picks, and his 12 interception returns for touchdowns remain an NFL record.
6. G Alan Faneca (1998)
It took a little time, but the former LSU product finally took his rightful place among the greats in Canton, Ohio, in 2021. Alan Faneca was a first-round pick in 1998. He was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ primary left guard for 10 seasons and missed only two games over that stretch. There would be seven straight Pro Bowl invitations with the club and All-Pro honors six times.
Faneca joined the Jets in 2008 and in two years with that club, he didn’t miss a game and was named to the Pro Bowl twice. His career ended with the Cardinals in 2010, where he started all 16 contests.
5. RB Franco Harris (1972)
He was on the right end of what was voted the greatest play in NFL history. As a rookie in 1972, former Penn State running back Franco Harris helped launch what would prove to be one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history. Harris’ “Immaculate Reception” in the 1972 AFC Divisional Playoffs was the difference in a 13-7 win over the Raiders. The Steelers won four Super Bowls in a six-year span from 1974-79.
Harris was MVP of Super Bowl IX, running for 158 yards and the game’s first TD. He ranks 15th in NFL annals with 12,120 rushing yards. In 12 seasons with the team, the nine-time Pro Bowler totaled 14,234 yards from scrimmage and 100 touchdowns.
4. QB Ben Roethlisberger (2004)
The quarterback class of 2004 has drawn comparisons to a group selected 21 years earlier. In 1983, John Elway, Jim Kelly, and Dan Marino were three of the six quarterbacks selected in the first round that year. The three are all enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The 2004 class includes Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger, the latter chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 11th overall selection that year.
The 18-year pro ranks fifth in NFL history with 64,008 passing yards while only seven players have thrown more touchdown passes (418). He was at the controls for three Super Bowl appearances, two of which resulted in victory.
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.