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Round 1, Pick 11 of the 2004 NFL Draft. That’s the last time that the Pittsburgh Steelers have had to seriously consider who they wanted to be their next franchise quarterback, as they may again be contemplating this year. After the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger at the conclusion of the 2021 season, the Steelers are at a crossroads as to whom to turn the offensive reins over to in the coming season. With the addition of Mitch Trubisky to the roster, many are eager to begin the “Mitchburgh” era in the Steel City, while others would prefer that the team draft their presumptive next franchise quarterback in this year’s draft.
The Steelers Draft Roethlisberger
As the Steelers contemplate using their first, first round pick on a quarterback since 2004, either at 20 or by trading up, the comparisons to Roethlisberger will inevitably start pouring in. With a career as successful and lengthy as Roethlisberger’s, of course being the optimal goal in any first round pick, I wanted to look and see what happened to the other round 1, pick 11’s in the years since Roethlisberger was selected at the spot, and whether or not the careers of the others selected at that spot were similarly fruitful.
First, let’s take a look at the round 1, pick 11’s since 2004:
Looking at this list, there are at least intuitively several players who have had/are having successful NFL careers who were taken with the 11th overall pick, such as DeMarcus Ware and JJ Watt. There are also some more notorious names on the list, such as longtime Chicago Bears starting quarterback Jay Cutler, who was once described as one of the NFL’s most hated players in history by USA Today.
Photo via Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO
Another very noticeable member of the 11’s is standout Steelers safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick, who was drafted by Miami in 2018 before being acquired by the Steelers for a first round pick in 2019. While Fitzpatrick is still very young in his career, only now beginning negotiations on his first non-rookie contract, the early results seem to indicate that like Roethlisberger, the Steelers landed another winner at the draft position.
In his first four seasons in the NFL, Fitzpatrick has racked up an astonishing 13 interceptions, 5 fumble recoveries, and 3 touchdowns. On his way to becoming a fan favorite by showing off his big play ability, Fitzpatrick has quietly also been a contributor on limiting plays, with 352 tackles in his young career. As a result of his elite level of play, Fitzpatrick has been named a Pro Bowler and to the First Team All-Pro in all four of his NFL seasons. While he still has a lot of career ahead of him, it certainly seems as though the Steelers have hit twice on elite players who were taken 11th overall.
Former Houston Texans’ DL, JJ Watt (#99).
Taking out the younger players on the list who we have an incomplete picture of, such as Marshon Lattimore and Mekhi Bekton, there are really only two contenders on the list for best, in my view. While no one doubts the NFL contributions of many of these players, the only two true contenders for the best pick 11 since the Steelers traded up to get the Miami RedHawks quarterback in 2004 are Roethlisberger himself and star Arizona Cardinals’ DE, JJ Watt.
From a longevity standpoint, it seems hard to beat Roethlisberger, who despite taking brutal hits throughout his career and being the NFL’s statistically most sacked quarterback ever, managed to play 17 years of pro-caliber football. Indeed, looking at the average career length for retired players taken 11th overall during Roethlisberger’s tenure, the average player’s NFL shelf-life is around seven and a half years, or nearly 10 fewer years in the league than Roethlisberger. While Watt has been in the league for 10 seasons, he still has to play until 2028 in order to tie Roethlisberger’s 17 years.
As the old adage goes, the best ability is availability, and Roethlisberger clearly leads Watt in this category. Whereas Watt has been available for an average of 11.2 games a season, Roethlishberger averaged 14.64 games a season (15.31 if you remove the 2019 season in which Roethlisberger only played in two games). While Roethlisberger certainly had injury concerns throughout his career, it’s ultimately Watt who has routinely had more question marks about his future availability.
JJ Watt has had a stellar NFL career so-far, but I think it is unquestionable that he does not eclipse Roethlisberger when it comes to being the best 11th overall pick of Roethlisberger’s NFL tenure. Not only does Roethlisberger have the obvious pedigree of winning two Super Bowls and playing in another while Watt has not appeared in any, but he also holds numerous NFL records on his own and places in the top five for nearly every other quarterback statistic. And, now that he’s enjoying his retirement, he can add presumptive Hall of Famer and NFL legend to his list of accomplishments.
The Steelers have had two elite players selected 11th overall on their roster in the 21st century, and with the team looking to potentially trade up for their next franchise star, one has to wonder, will it be to pick 11?
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The Steelers Draft Roethlisberger
As the Steelers contemplate using their first, first round pick on a quarterback since 2004, either at 20 or by trading up, the comparisons to Roethlisberger will inevitably start pouring in. With a career as successful and lengthy as Roethlisberger’s, of course being the optimal goal in any first round pick, I wanted to look and see what happened to the other round 1, pick 11’s in the years since Roethlisberger was selected at the spot, and whether or not the careers of the others selected at that spot were similarly fruitful.
First, let’s take a look at the round 1, pick 11’s since 2004:
| Year: | Name: | Position: | School: | Drafted By: |
| 2004 | Ben Roethlisberger | QB | Miami of Ohio | Pittsburgh |
| 2005 | DeMarcus Ware | LB | Troy | Dallas |
| 2006 | Jay Cutler | QB | Vanderbilt | Denver |
| 2007 | Patrick Willis | LB | Mississippi | San Francisco |
| 2008 | Leodis McKelvin | DB | Troy | Buffalo |
| 2009 | Aaron Maybin | DT | Penn State | Buffalo |
| 2010 | Anthony Davis | OT | Rutgers | San Francisco |
| 2011 | JJ Watt | DE | Wisconsin | Houston |
| 2012 | Dontari Poe | DT | Memphis | Kansas City |
| 2013 | DJ Fluker | OT | Alabama | San Diego |
| 2014 | Taylor Lewan | OT | Michigan | Tennessee |
| 2015 | Trae Waynes | CB | Michigan State | Minnesota |
| 2016 | Vernon Hargreaves III | CB | Florida | Tampa Bay |
| 2017 | Marshon Lattimore | CB | Ohio State | New Orleans |
| 2018 | Minkah Fitzpatrick | S | Alabama | Miami |
| 2019 | Jonah Williams | G | Alabama | Cincinnati |
| 2020 | Mekhi Bekton | G | Louisville | New York Jets |
| 2021 | Justin Fields | QB | Ohio State | Chicago |
Looking at this list, there are at least intuitively several players who have had/are having successful NFL careers who were taken with the 11th overall pick, such as DeMarcus Ware and JJ Watt. There are also some more notorious names on the list, such as longtime Chicago Bears starting quarterback Jay Cutler, who was once described as one of the NFL’s most hated players in history by USA Today.
Photo via Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO
Miami Takes Fitzpatrick at No. 11; Traded to Steelers a Season Later
Another very noticeable member of the 11’s is standout Steelers safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick, who was drafted by Miami in 2018 before being acquired by the Steelers for a first round pick in 2019. While Fitzpatrick is still very young in his career, only now beginning negotiations on his first non-rookie contract, the early results seem to indicate that like Roethlisberger, the Steelers landed another winner at the draft position.
In his first four seasons in the NFL, Fitzpatrick has racked up an astonishing 13 interceptions, 5 fumble recoveries, and 3 touchdowns. On his way to becoming a fan favorite by showing off his big play ability, Fitzpatrick has quietly also been a contributor on limiting plays, with 352 tackles in his young career. As a result of his elite level of play, Fitzpatrick has been named a Pro Bowler and to the First Team All-Pro in all four of his NFL seasons. While he still has a lot of career ahead of him, it certainly seems as though the Steelers have hit twice on elite players who were taken 11th overall.
Former Houston Texans’ DL, JJ Watt (#99).
How Roethlisberger Compares
Taking out the younger players on the list who we have an incomplete picture of, such as Marshon Lattimore and Mekhi Bekton, there are really only two contenders on the list for best, in my view. While no one doubts the NFL contributions of many of these players, the only two true contenders for the best pick 11 since the Steelers traded up to get the Miami RedHawks quarterback in 2004 are Roethlisberger himself and star Arizona Cardinals’ DE, JJ Watt.
From a longevity standpoint, it seems hard to beat Roethlisberger, who despite taking brutal hits throughout his career and being the NFL’s statistically most sacked quarterback ever, managed to play 17 years of pro-caliber football. Indeed, looking at the average career length for retired players taken 11th overall during Roethlisberger’s tenure, the average player’s NFL shelf-life is around seven and a half years, or nearly 10 fewer years in the league than Roethlisberger. While Watt has been in the league for 10 seasons, he still has to play until 2028 in order to tie Roethlisberger’s 17 years.
As the old adage goes, the best ability is availability, and Roethlisberger clearly leads Watt in this category. Whereas Watt has been available for an average of 11.2 games a season, Roethlishberger averaged 14.64 games a season (15.31 if you remove the 2019 season in which Roethlisberger only played in two games). While Roethlisberger certainly had injury concerns throughout his career, it’s ultimately Watt who has routinely had more question marks about his future availability.
The Verdict
JJ Watt has had a stellar NFL career so-far, but I think it is unquestionable that he does not eclipse Roethlisberger when it comes to being the best 11th overall pick of Roethlisberger’s NFL tenure. Not only does Roethlisberger have the obvious pedigree of winning two Super Bowls and playing in another while Watt has not appeared in any, but he also holds numerous NFL records on his own and places in the top five for nearly every other quarterback statistic. And, now that he’s enjoying his retirement, he can add presumptive Hall of Famer and NFL legend to his list of accomplishments.
The Steelers have had two elite players selected 11th overall on their roster in the 21st century, and with the team looking to potentially trade up for their next franchise star, one has to wonder, will it be to pick 11?
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
