Art Rooney II might have been a little overzealous when he declared Navy’s Eli Heidenreich as the greatest seventh-round pick in Pittsburgh Steelers history. In context, he was probably referring to the moment Heidenreich was drafted. That’ll never be beaten. A hometown kid getting to hear his name called to walk across the stage with Steelers’ fans screaming his name and celebrating the moment. Incredible.
But Rooney’s comments beg the question. Who are the greatest seventh-rounders in team history? Here’s the top five. The rules? They must have been drafted by Pittsburgh, and only their Steelers careers, not anything after, can be considered.
5. D.J. Johnson/CB (1989-1993)
A seventh-round pick from Kentucky, Johnson cracked the starting lineup by his second season. He picked off a pair of passes in 1990, his first a pick-six off Warren Moon as part of his four-interception disaster in a 20-9 Pittsburgh win.
In 1992, Johnson finished second on the team with five interceptions. He forced a fumble in each of his first three years starting. A consistent playmaker, Johnson picked off three passes in 1993, his final year with the team.
Johnson spent the next three years in Atlanta before finishing his career in Arizona.
As a Steeler, Johnson appeared in 79 games with 61 starts. He made 273 tackles with 12 interceptions, three forced fumbles, and one sack. Those dozen picks are the most by a seventh-round pick in franchise history.
4. Dick Hoak/RB (1961-1970)
A Pittsburgh native who played at Penn State, Hoak was one of the first true lead backs in Steelers’ history. Three times, he led the team in rushing: 1965, 1968, and 1969. His 1968 season was his best, rushing for a career-high 858 yards to earn a Pro Bowl berth. He also averaged 4.9 yards per carry, buoyed by a 77-yard touchdown against the New Orleans Saints. It remains the seventh-longest rushing score in Steelers history.
Upon retirement, only John Henry Johnson had more rushing yards than Hoak’s 3,965. He still sits in the top ten.
Hoak is best known for his remarkable coaching career that followed, serving as the Steelers’ running backs coach from 1972 to 2006. That isn’t considered in this listing, but it still must be noted as an awesome career in football.
3. David Little/LB (1981-1992)
Little had the second-longest Steelers career of a seventh-round pick, spending all 12 years in Pittsburgh. Drafted out of Florida, he didn’t start until his third season. From there, he didn’t look back.
From 1984 to 1992, Little started 124 games. He did it all. Stop the run, sack the quarterback, intercept passes, force fumbles, and was named a Pro Bowler in 1991. That year, he tallied three interceptions, had two sacks, and two forced fumbles.
Since the 1970 merger, Little’s 126 career starts rank just outside the top-30 of all seventh-round selections and most by a Steeler. Of any later draft pick, only John Jackson and L.C. Greenwood have more.
2. Brett Keisel/DL (2002-2014)
Keisel spent 13 years in Pittsburgh, including his sophomore year, when he was injured. Unheralded out of BYU, Keisel bided his time to find a role in the defense. It took until 2006, but he became a key piece in some excellent Steelers’ defenses, including the 2008 edition that won a sixth Super Bowl.
Keisel shined bright in the postseason. In 2005, he notched two sacks in the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos. In the 2008 run, Keisel recovered LaMarr Woodley’s fumble to seal the Super Bowl.
Keisel didn’t always produce the greatest numbers, but dutifully did his job to free up the linebackers around him. In 2010, he earned his first Pro Bowl bid, the same year he returned an interception 79 yards the other way against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
For his career, Keisel appeared in 156 games with 114 starts. He totaled 408 tackles (33 for a loss) with 30 sacks and seven forced fumbles.
Keisel isn’t a Hall of Famer and may never even make the Steelers’ Hall of Honor, though there’s a chance he makes it someday. But he was everything Pittsburgh needed him to be as the franchise added two more Lombardi’s to its trophy case.
1. Ray Mathews/HB-WR (1951-1959)
The greatest seventh-round pick in NFL history. In 1951, there were far fewer teams and shorter drafts. That made Mathews the 81st overall selection, equivalent to a mid-third-rounder today. Still, he was a seventh-rounder out of Clemson and became a do-it-all player in Pittsburgh.
As a receiver, he caught 233 passes for almost 4,000 yards and 34 touchdowns. As a runner, Mathews notched 300 carries for over 1,000 yards and five touchdowns. As a returner, he handled kicks and punts with two career returns for touchdowns. He even picked off a couple of passes and once kicked an extra point.
A true athlete, Mathews was one of the Steelers’ early star players. He made two Pro Bowls and spent nearly all his career with Pittsburgh, save for a final year with Dallas in the Cowboys’ inaugural season.
In 2022, Mathews was inducted into the Steelers’ Hall of Honor.
Honorable Mentions: OT Kelvin Beachum, DL Edmund Nelson, LB Carlos Emmons, LB Tyler Matakevich
Recommended for you