Steelers vs. first overall

Since 1983, 17 quarterbacks have been selected with the first overall pick in the draft, the most recent being Jared Goff by the Los Angeles Rams in April. However, many coaches, general managers and scouts thought Wentz, who played at North Dakota State, might have been the best quarterback in the draft.

The Eagles certainly thought enough to trade with the Cleveland Browns and move into the second spot to draft Wentz.

“I always thought he should have been No. 1,” Mike Mayock, a draft analyst for the NFL Network, said the other day.

Since Elway’s debut, the Steelers have faced only three rookie quarterbacks who were the first overall picks in the draft that year — Eli Manning of the New York Giants in 2004, Houston’s David Carr in 2002 and Cleveland’s Tim Couch in 1999.

Surprisingly, they lost two of those three matchups — to Carr and the expansion Texans, 24-6; and to Couch in the second meeting of the Browns’ return to the NFL, 16-15.

The loss to Carr, though, should carry an asterisk. The quarterback to beat the Steelers that day was their own— Tommy Maddox, who had two interceptions and a fumble returned for touchdowns. Carr completed just 3 of 10 passes for 33 yards and the Texans had only three first downs and 47 yards offense — the fewest yards by a winning team in NFL history.

The only time the Steelers beat a rookie quarterback who was the first overall selection was in 2004 when Manning lost a duel with another rookie firstround pick that year, Ben Roethlisberger, 33-30. Manning threw a pair of touchdowns and passed for 182 yards, but that happened to be the most productive day of Roethlisberger’s rookie season, passing for 318 yards and a touchdown.

That was the only 300-yard passing game and one of just four with more than 200 yards that season for Roethlisberger. He has added 48 more 300yard games since that day.

Wentz, who is 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, is being compared to Roethlisberger for more than just his size.

“Just the physical aspect, the stature, size, arm strength and athletic ability,” said Eagles coach Doug Pederson, a former NFL quarterback. “[They are] smart individuals.

“Carson has the ability to extend plays with his legs. Ben is big, strong, physical in the pocket, hard to bring down and continues to have great vision down the field. I think that’s one thing with Carson’s strength is he con- tinues to have that vision down the field when things begin to break down. There are a lot of similarities there. The fact that they’re both very good throwers outside the pocket is a tribute to both of them.”