INDIANAPOLIS -- There are two kinds of teams in the NFL, those with a franchise quarterback and those who are searching for one.

For the have nots this is a tough year to try and draft a quarterback. While the overall group is solid and there are some good players, there doesn't appear to be a "can't miss" franchise quarterback in the bunch.

Boston College's Matt Ryan is the only quarterback who seems to be a definite first-round pick and opinions vary greatly on just how good he will be.

The lack of franchise quarterbacks -- both in this draft pool and in the NFL -- makes Steelers coach Mike Tomlin appreciate the fact that he inherited a team that has one in place. It's also why he -- along with the organization -- is committed to making sure the Steelers finish a long-term contract extension with Ben Roethlisberger sooner rather than later.

"I've been in this league seven, eight years now and this is the first time I've been around a quarterback like that," Tomlin said. "I've been around elite guys at other positions, but the reality is when you've got an elite quarterback you've got a chance to win. Ben is that.

"And the thing is, you've got a chance to win [if you have an elite quarterback] regardless of circumstance and that's just the reality of it. That lets you know the importance of that position in this league."

Although Roethlisberger has won a Super Bowl and is coming off a spectacular season (32 touchdowns, 11 interceptions) in which he led the Steelers to the playoffs for the third time in his four seasons as a starter, Tomlin said the most exciting thing about him is that he is still young.

"Ben's 25 years old, man," Tomlin said. "He's a good player. He's an emerging player and you know that he's capable of becoming a great player and we expect him to be."

Tomlin, who is in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine, said that he didn't spend a lot of time reflecting on the season or evaluating his first year as the Steelers coach.

He said he didn't need to because the NFL is a bottom-line business and the bottom line is the only thing that matters when evaluating a coach's success.

"I was 10-6 and 0-1 in the playoffs," Tomlin said.

"That's how I evaluate myself. I think that's how we're all measured in this business. You can paint pictures to make yourself feel good or tear yourself down but the reality is the wins and losses go by my name. I accept that."

Any questions about the speed of Arkansas running back Darren McFadden were answered yesterday. McFadden, considered by some to be the best prospect in the draft, was timed in the 40-yard dash at an eye-popping 4.33 seconds (unofficially 4.27). ... Another top prospect who helped himself yesterday is Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan, who reportedly had an excellent day throwing the football. ... West Virginia running back Steve Slaton ran his 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds. ... Pitt tackle Jeff Otah remains a highly sought after prospect, though his 40 time was a little slow at 5.56 seconds. Otah's strength, size (6 feet 6, 322) and his athleticism make him a top prospect. ... One other player whose stock seems to be on the rise is Penn State linebacker Dan Connor, who some scouts have projected as a potential top 10 pick.