During the 2010s, the Pittsburgh Steelers worked hard to rebuild their offensive line. They knew that they needed to better protect Ben Roethlisberger if they wanted to extend his career. Therefore, they spent first-round picks on players like Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro. However, Ramon Foster was a more underrated pickup. The Steelers added him as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and he spent 11 seasons as a stalwart for them at guard. Recently, Foster shared that the Steelers were confident in him from day one.
“Going into those training camps as an undrafted, one, that’s not your world,” Foster said recently on the YouTube channel Full Disclosure. “You go from being the top at your university to the bottom of the barrel no matter where you were drafted at.
“What’s funny about my case, as soon as I walked into the facility with the Steelers, I had a coach tell me, ‘You’re gonna make this team.’ I was like, ‘What? What do you mean?’ Then I had a scout say the exact same thing. ‘You know we had a fourth-round grade on you.’ I had one guy in the building tell me they had a third-round grade on me.”
The Steelers’ 2009 draft class ended up being one of their weaker ones. The argument could be made that Foster was actually their most successful rookie that year. They spent their first-round pick on defensive lineman Ziggy Hood, who did not live up to his draft slot.
The other notable name that the Steelers drafted was Mike Wallace. Unlike Foster, Wallace made a Pro Bowl, but he had a little less longevity and consistency. Wallace left the Steelers after four seasons, and while he stuck around until 2018, he never reached those same heights. He only produced one 1,000-yard receiving season outside of Pittsburgh.
Foster proved the Steelers’ confidence in him correct. He may have never made a Pro Bowl, but for an undrafted free agent, he was a massive success. Once he became a full-time starter, he only missed a handful of games, providing stability to the Steelers’ trenches.
In hindsight, the Steelers likely would’ve been better off spending one of their Day 3 draft picks on Foster. However, there’s no telling if Foster would’ve been the same player in that scenario. Going undrafted likely put a chip on his shoulder that caused him to work harder. He might not have been as decorated as Pouncey or DeCastro, but Foster was just as important to Pittsburgh’s success.
