Pittsburgh Steelers 1st-round draft pick history

Editor’s Note: This story was updated April 23, 2025.

In the 86 years of the NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers have just as many first-round picks from Duquesne (one) as they do from Penn State and West Virginia.

The Steelers selected Duquesne running back Mike Basrak with the fifth overall pick in 1937. West Virginia running back Dick Leftridge was chosen third overall in 1966, and Penn State running back Franco Harris was picked 13th in 1972.

Pitt, meanwhile, has had three players selected in the first round by the Steelers: Quarterback Kenny Pickett in 2022, offensive tackle Tom Ricketts in 1989 and running back Paul Martha in 1964.

The Steelers have had the first overall pick three times in the past 86 years, with one pick standing out over the others. The Steelers took Louisiana Tech quarterback Terry Bradshaw first overall in 1970, and that obviously worked out. The other two No. 1 overall picks? Colorado State quarterback Gary Glick in 1956 and Virginia running back Bill Dudley in 1942.

Nine of the team’s first-round picks have gone on to the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Dudley, Len Dawson, Joe Greene, Bradshaw, Harris, Lynn Swann, Rod Woodson, Alan Faneca and Troy Polamalu.

Here’s a look at the Steelers’ draft picks through the years:

2024: Washington tackle Troy Fautanu, 20th overall

2023: Georgia tackle Broderick Jones, 14th overall

2022: Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett, 20th overall

2021: Alabama running back Najee Harris, 24th overall

2019: Michigan linebacker Devin Bush, 10th overall

2018: Virginia Tech safety Terrell Edmunds, 28th overall

2017: Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Watt, 30th overall

2016: Miami cornerback Artie Burns, 25th overall

2015: Kentucky linebacker Bud Dupree, 22nd overall

2014: Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier, 15th overall

2013: Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones, 17th overall

2012: Stanford guard David DeCastro, 24th overall

2011: Ohio State defensive end Cameron Heyward, 31st overall

2010: Florida center Maurkice Pouncey, 18th overall

2009: Missouri defensive tackle Evander Hood, 32nd overall

2008: Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall, 23rd overall

2007: Florida State linebacker Lawrence Timmons, 15th overall

2006: Ohio State wide receiver Santonio Holmes, 25th overall

2005: Virginia tight end Heath Miller, 30th overall

2004: Miami (Ohio) quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, 11th overall

2003: USC defensive back Troy Polamalu, 16th overall

2002: Auburn guard Kendall Simmons, 30th overall

2001: Texas defensive tackle Casey Hampton, 19th overall

2000: Michigan State wide receiver Plaxico Burress, eighth overall

1999: Louisiana Tech wide receiver Troy Edwards, 13th overall

1998: LSU guard Alan Faneca, 26th overall

1997: Maryland defensive back Chad Scott, 24th overall

1996: North Carolina A&T offensive tackle Jamain Stephens, 29th overall

1995: Washington tight end Mark Bruener, 27th overall

1994: Colorado wide receiver Charles Johnson, 17th overall

1993: Colorado defensive back Deon Figures, 23rd overall

1992: Miami offensive tackle Leon Searcy, 11th overall

1991: Florida defensive end Huey Richardson, 15th overall

1990: Liberty tight end Eric Green, 21st overall

1989: Georgia running back Tim Worley, seventh overall

1989: Pitt offensive tackle Tom Ricketts, 24th overall

1988: Eastern Kentucky defensive end Aaron Jones, 18th overall

1987: Purdue defensive back Rod Woodson, 10th overall

1986: Temple guard John Rienstra, ninth overall

1985: Wisconsin defensive end Darryl Sims, 20th overall

1984: Southern Mississippi wide receiver Louis Lipps, 23rd overall

1983: Texas Tech defensive end Gabriel Rivera, 21st overall

1982: Baylor running back Walter Abercrombie, 12th overall

1981: Oklahoma defensive end Keith Gary, 17th overall

1980: Arizona State quarterback Mark Malone, 28th overall

1979: Baylor running back Greg Hawthorne, 28th overall

1978: Eastern Michigan defensive back Ron Johnson, 22nd overall

1977: New Mexico linebacker Robin Cole, 21st overall

1976: Clemson tight end Bennie Cunningham, 28th overall

1975: Michigan defensive back Dave Brown, 26th overall

1974: USC wide receiver Lynn Swann, 21st overall

1973: Florida State defensive back J.T. Thomas, 24th overall

1972: Penn State running back Franco Harris, 13th overall

1971: Grambling wide receiver Frank Lewis, eighth overall

1970: Louisiana Tech quarterback Terry Bradshaw, first overall

1969: North Texas defensive tackle Joe Greene, fourth overall

1968: USC offensive tackle Mike Taylor, 10th overall

1966: West Virginia running back Dick Leftridge, third overall

1964: Pitt running back Paul Martha, 10th overall

1962: Ohio State running back Bob Ferguson, fifth overall

1960: Texas Christian fullback Jack Spikes, sixth overall

1957: Purdue quarterback Len Dawson, fifth overall

1956: Colorado State quarterback Gary Glick, first overall

1956: Mississippi State running back Art Davis, fifth overall

1955: Notre Dame offensive tackle Frank Varrichione, sixth overall

1954: Notre Dame running back Johnny Lattner, seventh overall

1953: Detroit quarterback Ted Marchibroda, fifth overall

1952: Maryland fullback Ed Modzelewski, sixth overall

1951: Alabama fullback Butch Avinger, ninth overall

1950: Michigan State running back Lynn Chandnois, eighth overall

1949: Clemson running back Bobby Gage, sixth overall

1948: Georgia wide receiver Dan Edwards, ninth overall

1947: Texas wide receiver Hub Bechtol, fifth overall

1946: Army fullback Doc Blanchard, third overall

1945: Florida running back Paul Duhart, second overall

1944: St. Mary’s (Calif.) running back Johnny Podesto, 10th overall

1943: Minnesota fullback Bill Daley, seventh overall

1942: Virginia running back Bill Dudley, first overall

1940: Arkansas running back Kay Eakin, third overall

1938: Colorado running back Byron White, fourth overall

1937: Duquesne running back Mike Basrak, fifth overall

1936: Notre Dame running back William Shakespeare, third overall

No first-round pick: 2020, 1967, 1965, 1963, 1961, 1959, 1958, 1941, 1939