The Pittsburgh Steelers’ Amazing 1974 NFL Draft

There are several ways to be successful in the National Football League. A team can build a great roster by signing free agents who have come from elsewhere. A team can motivate and get more out of average players, as well as exhibit great teamwork and achieve success. A team can build using players acquired in trades or free agency and also complement them with quality players taken in the NFL Draft.

In 1974, the Pittsburgh Steelers were able to do something completely different. They vastly changed the nature of their team simply by having one of the best NFL Drafts possible.

The Steelers of the 1970s were one of the most dominant teams in league history. They won four Super Bowls in six years and were always a serious contender. They began building this team through the draft in 1969 with the selection of eventual Pro Football Hall of Famer Mean Joe Greene. They then added at least one Hall of Fame player each year for the next three seasons; defensive back Mel Blount and quarterback Terry Bradshaw in 1970, linebacker Jack Ham in 1971, and running back Franco Harris in 1972. That was just the beginning, though.

In 1974, the Steelers had arguably the most incredible draft in history when they got an incredible four Hall of Famers in one year. In the fifth round they selected center Mike Webster, who would anchor his line for a decade and a half. In the fourth round, they took wide receiver John Stallworth, who would form one half of the most feared receiving duo of the 1970s. In the second round, they took linebacker Jack Lambert, who became one of the most feared defensive players in the game. his time. The team’s first-round pick that year was used on wide receiver Lynn Swann, who would go on to make some of the biggest and most spectacular catches in team history.

The Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s were really something else to watch. They outclassed most of their competition and became the first team to win four Super Bowl titles. His two different consecutive Super Bowl championships in a decade solidified his status as a dynasty. However, it couldn’t have been done without his great writing during the early part of the decade, particularly the incredible 1974 draft.