The Pittsburgh Steelers made one of the best moves in franchise history when the team traded up to select S Troy Polamalu during the 2003 NFL Draft. Even though Polamalu, who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020, was the No. 16 overall pick, NFL Media’s Eric Edholm still believes he was the second-best value selection at safety over the last millennium.
“The Steelers traded up 11 spots to draft Polamalu in the top half of Round 1, so I wasn’t immediately sure he reasonably could be called a true draft steal. But when considering how Polamalu’s Hall of Fame résumé stands out compared to the relatively lackluster nature of both the 2003 draft class and the overall pool of safety candidates, I became convinced he still belonged here,” Edholm writes.
“He was a do-it-all game wrecker, able to break opponents up near the line of scrimmage or back in deep coverage, or by manning up against backs and tight ends. The fact that Polamalu did it entirely in Pittsburgh, helping the legendary franchise win two Super Bowls during his 12 seasons, was the icing on the cake.”
Polamalu only ranked behind the player he was compared to for most of his career, Ed Reed, in Edholm’s list. Reed was selected 24th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft, and he finished his career with 64 interceptions and enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Polamalu finished ahead of Eric Weddle, Adrian Wilson and Kam Chancellor on Edholm’s list.
Even though Polamalu was a first-round pick, there weren’t many who were more dominant during his era. He was a first-team All-Pro four times, an eight-time Pro Bowler and took home Defensive Player of the Year award honors in 2010. On top of that, he was instrumental in helping the Steelers win two Super Bowls. Draft position doesn’t matter when someone has the career Polamalu has. Even if he was the 1st overall pick, the value he provided would still make him one of the biggest steals at the position this century.
Polamalu recently connected with newly-acquired CB Jalen Ramsey, a good sign to see Ramsey getting to know a team legend. Polamalu was a special player on and off the field, and it’s great to see him around the organization and taking time to talk to a current player.
But it’s rare to watch a player as talented as Troy Polamalu, whose football IQ and physical gifts made him a truly special player. In a long line of great defensive players who have came through Pittsburgh, Polamalu stands out in the upper-echelon. Kevin Colbert deserves props for trading up to select him.
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