Only for Guild Members » We take a look back at the scouting reports

written about Ben Roethlisberger ahead of the 2004 NFL Draft."In a flashback to the 2004 NFL Draft Troy Polamalu Jersey , we take a look at how Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was rated by the experts that year, and how accurate their projections about him really were. Reviewing many of the scouting reports written about him at the time, it is rather easy to see why the Steelers were attracted to him, even if some in the local Pittsburgh media had their doubts about the team’s real interest ahead of the draft. This coming from an an archive on BigBen7.com of a report from Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette entitled “Is QB Philip Rivers on top of Steelers list?”Most experts had Eli Manning ranked as the best quarterback available that year, with Roethlisberger generally viewed as the consensus No.2 over Rivers. However Carnell Lake Jersey , this reprinted article from the Sporting News in 2004 was not 100-percent sure that Manning was the better player.This mock draft from The Sporting News on April 7, 2004, has Manning going No.1 to the San Diego Chargers, Roethlisberger No. 3 to the Arizona Cardinals, Rivers dropping all the way to No.20 and the Miami Dolphins and the Steelers ending up with Virginia Tech running back Kevin Jones at No.11. Ew!And unlike many of the young quarterbacks of today Jerome Bettis Jersey , Roethlisberger actually threw the ball at the NFL Scouting Combine when he went.Thankfully, things ended up a little bit differently and the rest is history, with several of these scouting reports painting a fairly accurate picture of the quarterback Roethlisberger would become. Scouting report from NFL.comThis scouting report from the Sports Forecaster projected Roethlisberger’s long-term future as a “star veteran big-game quarterback”, providing this analysis:From James Alder, NFL Draft expert at AboutFootball.com.From Sports Illustrated‘s NFL Draft Experts.And From the late Joe Stein Merril Hoge Jersey , NFL Draft expert for the San Diego Union-Tribune. In hindsight, it is hard to imagine that the Giants and Chargers would not like to have a do-over on their selections for that year. PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kentucky running back Benny Snell Jr. highlighted a busy final day at the NFL draft for the Pittsburgh Steelers.Pittsburgh selected Snell with their fourth-round pick, adding depth behind starter James Conner and backup Jaylen Samuels. Snell ran for 3,873 yards and 48 touchdowns in 39 career games for the Wildcats. He was a third-team All-American for Kentucky following his junior season in 2018.The Steelers added tight end Zach Gentry from Michigan in the fifth round, a position they needed help in after Jesse James signed with the Detroit Lions. Gentry caught 49 passes for 817 yards and four touchdowns for the Wolverines.Pittsburgh splurged on defense with its three picks in the sixth round Franco Harris Jersey , taking linebacker Sutton Smith from Northern Illinois, defensive end Isaiah Buggs from Alabama and linebacker Ulysees Gilbert from Akron. The Steelers finished the draft by selecting offensive tackle Derwin Gray from Maryland.The Steelers split their nine overall picks by taking five defensive players and four offensive players.