Of all the positions the Steelers didn't need to address in the NFL draft, quarterback was right up there with tight end. But, after going through four rounds without selecting a defensive lineman -- likely their top priority -- it seemed only natural for the Steelers to use their fifth pick on ... a quarterback.

An injured one, at that.

But coach Mike Tomlin and director of football operations Kevin Colbert thought Oregon's Dennis Dixon, a versatile quarterback who can run and throw, was too good a value on the fifth round to bypass. It didn't even matter that Dixon, the Pac-10 Conference's offensive player of the year, missed his final three games with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

So they drafted another quarterback to go with Ben Roethlisberger and Charlie Batch and have him compete for the No. 3 spot. Which, given his credentials, would seem to be a foregone conclusion.

"I'm glad we got a quarterback to hopefully lead us to victories," Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger was joking about the addition of Dixon (6 feet 3 1/2, 206 pounds), who guided Oregon to an 8-1 record and a No. 2 ranking in the BCS poll before the Nov. 3 injury against Arizona State. But he was not making light of his skills.

Not after watching him play on television.

"I enjoyed watching him at Oregon," Roethlisberger said. "I thought he was great. From what I heard, they're not bringing him in to be a Slash. They want him to be a quarterback and learn from Charlie and me."

Then Roethlisberger added, "I'm not worried about losing my job, if that's what you're asking."

Make no mistake, Dixon is a gifted athlete. He has been timed at 4.49 in the 40-yard dash, can power clean 264 pounds and accounted for 29 touchdowns as a senior (20 passing, nine rushing), despite missing the final three games. Dixon finished his career with 6,339 yards offense, sixth on the school's all-time list. At San Leandro (Calif.) High School, he was such an outstanding outfielder he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 2003.

Because of his physical ability, some scouts speculated he also could be a wide receiver in the NFL. The Steelers do not have any plans for that, though Tomlin conceded he is "excited about some of the potential things he can do in packages."

The Steelers said they expect Dixon to be recovered from his injury in time for training camp, especially after attending his Pro Day workout a couple weeks ago.

"He has great physical talent," Tomlin said. "He can run, he has a strong arm and he is coming to a great situation where he can grow behind two people like Ben and Charlie. It is going to be a great situation for him."

For a team that is set with Roethlisberger and Batch as one of the best 1-2 combos in the league, the Steelers, strangely, are stock-piling quarterbacks. After drafting Dixon, the Steelers also signed William & Mary quarterback Mike Potts, who grew up in Pittsburgh, as an undrafted free agent.

That gives them five quarterbacks -- former Boise State quarterback Jared Zabransky was signed in January -- for the start of the three-day minicamp on the South Side today.

"Some people, like my former boss, Jon Gruden, collect quarterbacks," Tomlin said, referring to the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "You can't have enough of these men."

Especially one with Dixon's physical ability.

"The first game I saw him in was the Michigan game," Colbert said, referring to a 39-7 Oregon victory in which Dixon rushed for 76 yards and one touchdown and passed for 292 yards and three touchdowns. "He was winning that game by himself. It was amazing what he was doing -- deep balls, short balls, running. The first thing I thought about was Vince Young. He had a lot of similar characteristics that I thought I saw in Vince Young. The more you watched him, the more you were impressed."

Dixon likely would have been drafted earlier without the knee injury. Also, some teams weren't sure if he was a quarterback or a receiver in the NFL.

Dixon said the Steelers want him to be a quarterback.

"I just want to be a sponge and soak everything in," Dixon said. "Ben Roethlisberger is a great quarterback, and I want to learn the ins and outs of playing the quarterback position as well. The sky is the limit. I am just going to come in and do the best I can."