Ben Roethlisberger: Jaguars' Bortles is 'a young me'

Ben Roethlisberger will be looking into a mirror of sorts when his Pittsburgh Steelers face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

The 6-foot-5, 241-pound veteran quarterback said he sees "a young me" when he looks at 6-foot-5, 232-pound Jaguars rookie pivot Blake Bortles.

Bortles drew many comparisons to Roethlisberger in the run up to the draft. Both played at relatively small schools, both are surprisingly mobile in the pocket and frustratingly hard to bring down, and both have no fear when it comes to taking shots downfield.

“I liked him coming out,” Roethlisberger said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I thought he was the most ready and a guy that I thought could be the best, just because I think the things he does: He can extend plays, he can stay in, he can throw the ball, he can throw on the run. He is an impressive-type young player. He makes some rookie mistakes but he also makes some plays that you don’t expect rookies to make in a good way.”

Like Bortles, Roethlisberger was elevated to his team's starting job early in his rookie season. He led the Steelers to a 15-1 record and an appearance in the AFC Championship.

In his second season, Roethlisberger's Steelers won the Super Bowl.

Bortles probably won't be so lucky. Unlike the Steelers of the mid-2000s, the Jaguars don't have one of the NFL's best defenses, nor do they have a high-powered running game to take the pressure off the rookie.

Jaguars fans will have to be patient, but if Bortles ends up half as accomplished on the field as Roethlisberger is, they will be very happy with their No. 3 overall pick.