Looking back on the 5 best offensive linemen in Steelers history

2. Dermontti Dawson

Unlike the three before him on this list, Dermontti Dawson was not a first-round selection, rather he was taken in the second round, 44th overall, in the 1988 NFL Draft, but that didn’t prevent him from becoming one of the best centers in NFL history.

Dawson spent his entire 13-year career in Pittsburgh and is a member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2012. According to Pro Football Reference, Dawson is a seven-time Pro Bowler, was a six-time First-team All-Pro, and made the Hall of Fame All-1990s team.

He and his former teammate Alan Faneca were so close, as they were named to the same number of Pro Bowls and First-team All-Pro selections during their time in Pittsburgh. While it’s splitting hairs, I give the edge to Dawson due to the fact that he spent three more years with the team, although Faneca has a Super Bowl ring and Dawson doesn’t.

Like Faneca, he paved the way for Jerome Bettis to have some of the best rushing seasons in franchise history. He also helped lead his team to Super Bowl XXX, but they came up short against the Dallas Cowboys. During his time in Pittsburgh, he played alongside Mike Webster for a year, and spend his final few years beside Alan Faneca, as the team transitioned from one Hall of Fame lineman to the next each time.