The Pittsburgh Steelers will enter the NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25th, looking to find players who can start at tackle, center, wide receiver, and cornerback sooner rather than later for Mike Tomlin. Omar Khan and Andy Weidl have their work cut out for them, and Day 1 and Day 2 of the draft (which features four Pittsburgh selections), will give fans some insight into which position they value most.
On Wednesday, Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show welcomed Ben Roethlisberger on the 20th anniversary of the Steelers drafting him with the 11th pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. Baumann asked the future Hall of Fame quarterback what he thought the Steelers' plan was at center and if he had bad memories of the organization downplaying the importance of the position at the end of his career.
"I think that guy can snap," Roethlisberger joked. "It gives me PTSD. It's the same sort of thing. I am just going to say this because we all love this guy. If you lose a long snapper and you got to bring James Harrison in to snap... It's kind of what they are doing now, feels like."
Roethlisberger is famously passive-aggressive with his criticism, and this seems like a not-so-veiled shot at Kevin Colbert and Kendrick Green. Since the Chuck Noll era, the Steelers' center position has been the feature position on the offensive line. Noll inherited Ray Mansfield, who played center from 1966 to 1976, before giving way to Hall of Fame center Mike Webster, who was followed by another Hall of Famer, Dermontti Dawson.
Maurkice Pouncey, who is the only center the organization has ever picked in the first round, retired after the 2020 season, and the Steelers have been floundering on the offensive line ever since, looking for his replacement. Roethlisberger does not think that is a coincidence.
"Mike's heard me say this: when I voted MVP of the team, it was either Heath Miller or Maurkice Pouncey," Roethlisberger said. "There is not a more valuable position, in my opinion, on that football field than the center."
Pittsburgh has not spent a lot of money, but it has made significant changes to the 2024 quarterback room. The team signed Russell Wilson, who was released by the Denver Broncos, and traded with the Chicago Bears to bring in Justin Fields. This change warrants a significant upgrade in who protects that investment, in Roethlisberger's opinion.
"You just got two quarterbacks in; you've got to protect them; it feels like that should be your start," Roethlisberger continued. "It feels like they have been trying to rebuild the line in unique ways recently. I would start with line, whether it's center out there or tackle. Maybe take the first two, I don't know. It seems like that's where you really need help. I know there's other stuff, like receiver and stuff like that. To me, it starts and stops with the line."
Baumann followed up and asked the two-time Super Bowl champion which position he thought was more important, tackle or center. Roethlisberger did not hesitate and answered quickly.
"Center," Roethlisberger emphatically concluded. "Tackles are important, but you can put tight ends to help chip. You can do things to help a tackle. A center, has to be a guy, he's making your calls, obviously your quarterback, he can make a lot of calls and help you, but your center and quarterback have to work together. Pounce and I, we fed off each other. I'm not saying you are going to find the next Maurkice Pouncey, but I think you got to have that guy. If you are not on the same page with your center, you're in trouble."
Steelers' Plan At Center Will Be Clear By End Of Day 2 In 2024 NFL Draft
Weidl is one of the best offensive and defensive line talent evaluators in the NFL. The Steelers need a center, and who and when they pick them will tell a lot about how the organization, and specifically Khan, values the position. Speculation that they will take a center in the first round or trade up in the second has persisted, but the guessing stops when the draft begins on Thursday.
More must-reads: