15 all-time greatest draft picks in Pittsburgh Steelers history

2. QB Ben Roethlisberger

I know that Ben Roethlisberger was the 11th overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, but nobody knew exactly what the Steelers were getting at the time out of the big Miami (OH) quarterback. In 2004, Eli Manning and Philip Rivers were more highly-touted prospects, but it was Roethlisberger who would have the last laugh.

Despite coming from a non-Power Five football program, Roethlisberger found the field early in his career when Tommy Maddox went down with an injury. He never looked back. In Big Ben’s very first NFL season, he had a remarkable 15-1 record — his only loss coming in the AFC Championship Game.

The following year by the age of 23, Roethlisberger was a Super Bowl champion. He earned his second Super Bowl ring in 2008 and went to a third Super Bowl following the 2010 season.

Now Big Ben is retired, but he will be headed to Canton soon. There is little doubt that was among the very best draft choices in Pittsburgh Steelers history, and without him, we probably have two fewer Super Bowl wins right now.