It may not be clear who the Pittsburgh Steelers will select in the 2025 NFL Draft, but we do know who will make the announcement. Following tradition, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will call out the team’s first-round selection — No. 21 overall.
From Round 2 onward, Steelers legends will step in. Brett Keisel, a key part of the team’s Super Bowl 40 and 43 championship runs, will represent the franchise on Day 3. He’ll be announcing one of the team’s draft picks during the Steelers Draft Party at Croke Park in Ireland, where Pittsburgh is set to play an international game later this year.
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Revisiting Steelers Legend Brett Keisel’s NFL Career
“It’s a great honor to do this,” said Keisel. “There’s a lot of work that goes into the draft, not only from a player’s perspective, but also the organization’s perspective. The Steelers really try to develop their team through the draft and get good, young players that they can teach and mold into really strong professionals.”
“So, it’s a great honor to be able to make a pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers, my team. I love that team. I’m so grateful that they drafted me in 2002.”
Here’s a look back at Keisel’s career in black and gold.
Drafted in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft at pick No. 242, Keisel spent all 12 years of his pro career with Pittsburgh. He retired in 2014 after becoming a staple of the team’s defense. Before joining the NFL, Keisel played at BYU, where he racked up 66 tackles — 39 of them solo — along with nine sacks and 19 tackles for loss.
Keisel, now 46, made his Super Bowl debut in 2005. In Super Bowl 40, the Steelers rolled past the Seattle Seahawks 21-10, giving Keisel his first championship. That season, he posted 33 tackles (23 solo, 10 assisted). The performance helped earn him a starting job in 2006 and a contract extension reportedly worth $14 million.
By 2008, Keisel had logged 41 tackles (22 solo, 19 assisted) and one sack. In Super Bowl 43, he recovered a late fumble by Kurt Warner that helped secure a 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals — the second ring of his career.
On Aug. 31, 2009, Pittsburgh signed Keisel to a five-year, $18.885 million deal, which included a $5 million signing bonus. In 2010, he made it to his third Super Bowl — this time a 31–25 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl 45. Still, Keisel was named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster for the first time.
He continued playing a few more seasons before being released by the Steelers on March 9, 2015. Keisel officially announced his retirement in June 2025.
