The NFL really needs to move up the draft. I know I’ve said it plenty of times already, but goodness gracious, there is no need for us to be sitting around talking about the same thing for an extra month.

So, to avoid that, let’s do something different and take a look back. The Steelers have had a ton of success in the first round of the draft over the last 25 years – they’ve also had some duds. Today, we rank all 24 of their first-round selections since 2000 from worst to first.

24. QB Kenny Pickett (2022)

Not to take a victory lap a year after the fact, but I said for two seasons he was awful, and so many people pushed back, largely because of the college he went to. At the end of the 2023 season, Pickett had the lowest touchdown percentage in NFL history for all quarterbacks who had at least 500 pass attempts. Luckily, the Steelers moved on and traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024.

23. LB Jarvis Jones (2013)

The hope we all had for Jarvis Jones was vast, only for him to never live up to expectations. He had six sacks in four seasons with the Steelers and never played in another regular-season game after 2016.

22. OT Broderick Jones (2023)

The verdict is still out on Jones, but the inconsistencies he exhibited last season have fans worried that he could be a bust.

21. OT Troy Fautanu (2024)

Fautanu spent practically all of 2024 off the field due to a knee injury. In five years, I’d expect him to be higher on the list.

20. CB Artie Burns (2016)

Credit to Burns, he just signed another contract and has carved out a decade-long career in the NFL. However, his time with the Steelers was not good. He was the top cornerback for a bad defense, but he has found a nice role in the league as a reliable rotational piece.

19. LB Devin Bush (2019)

It was such a great start for Bush. He had four fumble recoveries, two interceptions, and a touchdown in his rookie season, where he exhibited all the reasons why the Steelers traded up for him. He then tore his ACL and was never the same.

18. DT Ziggy Hood (2009)

Hood was a solid defensive tackle for five years in Pittsburgh and was part of the great 2010 defense that helped Pittsburgh get to the Super Bowl.

17. Rashard Mendenhall (2008)

Mendenhall got hurt early in the 2008 season and didn’t play a big part in the Super Bowl win, but did have a pair of 1,000-yard seasons. Unfortunately, he’ll always be remembered for fumbling in Super Bowl XLV.

16. RB Najee Harris (2021)

Harris had four 1,000-yard seasons with the Steelers, but lacked the explosiveness to take his game to the next level.

15. Bud Dupree (2015)

Dupree was the perfect No. 2 to T.J. Watt. He had 31 sacks from 2017-21.

14. S Terrell Edmunds (2018)

Edmunds took about a year to develop, but from 2019-22, he was a valuable part of the Steelers’ defense.

13. WR Plaxico Burress (2000)

Burress had two 1,000-yard seasons with the Steelers, including a 1,300-yard season in 2003, but he was snubbed from the Pro Bowl.

12. LB Ryan Shazier (2014)

Shazier was on his way to being one of the best off-ball linebackers of his era, but the career-ending injury he suffered in 2017 put a halt to that. He was a two-time Pro Bowler in four seasons.

11. G Kendall Simmons (2002)

Simmons was a reliable guard for a team that was one of the best at running the football. He got hurt early in the 2008 season, and his shoes were hard to fill. Luckily, the Steelers were still able to win the Super Bowl.

10. LB Lawrence Timmons (2007)

Timmons is easily the most underrated player of the late 2000s-early 2010s defenses. He was such an athletic off-ball linebacker and was always reliable. He had over 1,000 career tackles and 12 interceptions.

9. G David DeCastro (2012)

DeCastro was a fantastic guard who, unfortunately, had his playing days end prematurely due to an ankle injury. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time First-Team All-Pro blocking for Le’Veon Bell and the Steelers’ Killer B’s era.

8. DT Casey Hampton (2001)

Big Snack was a five-time Pro Bowler and a somewhat forgotten name on those great defenses of the 2000s.

7. C Maurkice Pouncey (2010)

Pouncey is a future Hall-of-Fame selection and the best center of the 2010s. It’s a shame he never won a Super Bowl, but it doesn’t take away from his dominance as a player.

6. TE Heath Miller (2005)

Miller was one of the more underrated players of his era, but was the safety blanket of the Steelers’ offense and did everything you wanted a tight end to do. He was a great blocker and pass-catcher, and he helped bring two Super Bowls to Pittsburgh. He caught 592 passes throughout his career and was a two-time Pro Bowler.

5. WR Santonio Holmes (2006)

He has to be near the top of the list for his performance in Super Bowl XLIII alone. Nine catches for 131 yards and the game-winning touchdown to cap off arguably the best drive in NFL history and give the Steelers their second Super Bowl in four seasons. He was incredibly productive in all four of his seasons with the Steelers and has a Super Bowl MVP to his name.

4. DT Cam Heyward (2011)

Heyward is one of the best defensive linemen of the last 15 years, and is only getting better with age. 2024 has a legit case of being the best season of his career at age 35. He is a seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time First-Team All-Pro, as well as the 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year.

3. OLB T.J. Watt (2017)

Watt is the best pass rusher of his generation. He currently sits with 108 sacks and he won the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year Award. He’s a seven-time Pro Bowler and a four-time First-Team All-Pro.

2. S Troy Polamalu (2003)

Polamalu is easily one of the top five Steelers of all time. One of the best safeties ever, and the Steelers don’t win two Super Bowls without him – especially Super Bowl XLIII. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler, a four-time First-Team All-Pro selection, and won the 2010 Defensive Player of the Year.

1. QB Ben Roethlisberger (2004)

Yeah, no surprises here. 2004 Rookie of the Year. Six-time Pro Bowler. Two-time passing champion. Three Super Bowl appearances. Two Super Bowl wins. And, in my opinion, a top 10 quarterback of all time. He’s the most important Steeler of a generation, and we are all very lucky to have had almost 20 years of Big Ben under center.