The Best Steelers Draft Year

As of 2011, the Pittsburgh Steelers had won more Super Bowls (six) than any team in football. However, the team struggled mightily prior to the 1970s. In 1968, with the drafting of "Mean" Joe Greene, their fortunes began to change. The franchise had a series of successful drafts, but the 1974 draft stands out. Out of the 21 draftees, only nine ever played for the Steelers. Four of them, however, made the Hall of Fame.

  1. Lynn Swann

    • Swann was the Steelers No. 1 draft choice in 1974. The receiver out of Southern California was one of the best known players in the entire league over the course of his relatively short career. The play he is best known for is his diving, one-handed catch that helped propel the Steelers to a victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X. He finished his career in 1982 with 336 receptions for 5,462 yards and 51 touchdowns. Swann, who went on to work as a sideline reporter for NFL and college games, was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2001.

    Jack Lambert

    • Lambert, a linebacker out of Kent State, was the team's second draft choice in 1974. He became the leader of the Steel Curtain defense throughout the 1970s. A 1990 Hall of Fame inductee, he was effective in both pass coverage and stopping the run. He is perhaps best known for his hard hits, a signature sneer, and his missing two front top teeth. He also had a memorable quote when the league talked about new rules to better protect quarterbacks. He told "Monday Night Football" that "quarterbacks should wear dresses."

    John Stallworth

    • Stallworth was the fourth player the Steelers selected in the 1974 draft. While he's often overshadowed by Swann, he actually had better numbers throughout his career. He caught 537 passes for 8,723 yards and 63 touchdowns, all for Pittsburgh. The speedy wide out from Alabama A & M had a 14-year NFL career, and he was an integral part of the Steelers' four Super Bowl titles in the 1970s. He was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2002.

    Mike Webster

    • Webster was the fifth pick that year out of Wisconsin. He became the anchor of the Steelers' offensive line, playing center for 17 seasons, 15 with Pittsburgh. He bridged the gap between two eras of Pittsburgh football dominance and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997. Sadly, he suffered brain damage from years of abuse in the trenches. After years of post-retirement drug abuse and homelessness, he passed away at the age of 50 on September 24, 2002.