© William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports
Ben Roethlisberger Gives Steelers' First-Round Draft Thoughts
Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has a plan for their first round pick.
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers could go in a number of different directions with their first round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft with such a long list of needs and plenty of options to fill each of them projected to fall to the 20th overall pick.
But former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger believes the team should have a narrow focus heading into the draft. He thinks their strategy should start and end up front.
“You’ve got two quarterbacks, you’ve got to protect them,” Roethlisberger said on DVE Radio the day before the draft begins. “That should be your start. I mean, it feels like they’ve been trying to rebuild the line, but in unique ways recently. So I would start with the line, whether there is a food center out there or a tackle. … There’s other stuff with receivers and stuff like that, but to me it starts and stops with the line.”
The Steelers appear poised to take an offensive tackle or center with their first pick. They’ve hosted top prospects like Jackson Powers-Johnson, Graham Barton, Taliese Fuaga, Armarius Mims and Tyler Guyton, but some top tier wideouts have come through the Steel City for visits as well.
The Steelers have Dan Moore Jr. under contract so their need at tackle isn’t as dire as it is at center and wide receiver. As the roster is constructed right now, Nate Herbig would likely be the starting center and Calvin Austin III and one of Van Jefferson or Quez Watkins would slide in as wide receivers two and three alongside George Pickens. To that end, Roethlisberger believes center is the most pressing need and should be the direction the Steelers go at pick No. 20 overall.
“Listen, tackles are important, they’re protecting your blindside, but you can put tight ends to help chip. You can do things to help a tackle," Roethlisberger said. "A center has to be a guy. He’s making your calls. Your center and quarterback have to work together. I mean, you saw [Maurkice Pouncey] and I, we fed off each other. … If you’re not on the same page with your center, you’re in trouble.”
With all the pre-draft speculation and rumors running rampant around Pittsburgh and the rest of the NFL, it seems like anything is possible. But to Roethlisberger, there is only one way forward and it’s to find the center of the future.
