Ranking the top 10 picks in Steelers history: QB legend Ben Roethlisberger lands at No. 8
To help count down the days until the 2026 NFL Draft here in Pittsburgh, the Post-Gazette's beat reporters will rank the top 10 draft picks in Steelers history. The series will conclude April 23, the day of the first round of the draft at Acrisure Stadium. Let the debates begin.
8. Ben Roethlisberger
Round 1, pick 11 in 2004
18 seasons with Pittsburgh
Ben Roethlisberger almost didn't become a Steelers quarterback who would eventually lead them to a pair of Super Bowl victories.
In 2004, the Steelers had their eye on a guard - Shawn Andrews of Arkansas - as their potential pick in the first round of the draft.
What's more, the New York Giants were ready to select Roethlisberger with the fourth overall selection because the quarterback they really wanted, Eli Manning, went first overall to the San Diego Chargers.
Then fate intervened.
At the last minute, the Chargers agreed to a trade in which they would send Manning to the Giants if the Giants drafted the player they wanted - Philip Rivers. They would then swap quarterbacks. That cleared the path for Roethlisberger to be selected 11th overall by the Steelers.
However, that didn't occur until team owner Dan Rooney nudged coach Bill Cowher and told him Roethlisberger was too good to pass up and a better option than Andrews.
A new era of Steelers football emerged.
Roethlisberger became the first rookie quarterback in league history to post a 13-0 record. The next season, he took the Steelers to the Super Bowl, where they won their fifth Lombardi trophy and first in 26 years.
He never stopped from there. The Steelers won another Super Bowl three years later, thanks to an incredible last-minute drive by Roethlisberger against the Arizona Cardinals. And he got them there again two years later, although the Steelers lost to the Green Bay Packers.
In 18 years as the longest-tenured player in Steelers history, Roethlisberger ranks fifth in victories (165), seventh in passing yards (64,088) and third in fourth-quarter comebacks (41) on the league's all-time charts.
The PG's top 10:
10. Aaron Smith, DE, 1999
9. Mike Wagner, S, 1971
8. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, 2004
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.