15 all-time greatest draft picks in Pittsburgh Steelers history

1. Mike Webster

This isn’t a list of the most important players in Steelers history; rather, the best all-time draft selections. A center is rarely the most important player on the football field, but Pittsburgh got one fantastic offensive lineman in Mike Webster.

It’s extremely rare to find a former fifth-round player who was good enough to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Not only was Webster good enough to have a bust in Canton, but he is also widely considered one of the top centers to ever play the game.

Webster’s career got off to a slow start as he started just two games in his first two seasons. From there, however, Webster hit the ground running. From 1978 to 1985 Webster earned eight straight Pro Bowl appearances and was awarded five First-Team All-Pro honors during that span.

Perhaps most noteworthy is that the former fifth-round pick had an outstanding 17-year NFL career (15 of which seasons as a member of the Steelers). I’m willing to bet there won’t ever be a fifth-rounder again who will offer as many years of great play as Mike Webster did for Pittsburgh.

There are some fantastic football players who didn’t make the cut, but a few are sure to join this company someday. The Pittsburgh Steelers have drafted as well as any team since the merger and it shows.