By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The four-touchdown first half in the GMAC Bowl confirmed everything for Leigh Steinberg.

During that breathless performance by Miami quarterback Ben Roethlisberger last month, the well-known sports agent glimpsed a unique blend of size, strength, athleticism and leadership.

"To have all of those attributes in one human being, one athlete is incredible," Steinberg said. "He combines basically the most impressive and dominating attributes of a franchise quarterback, which are always in short supply in the NFL."

Roethlisberger has since added his name to Steinberg's notable client list, and together they're eyeballing the No. 1 overall spot in April's NFL draft.

"Everybody wants to be the No. 1 pick," Roethlisberger said Monday from Newport Beach, Calif. "But to me it's just a dream to play in the NFL."

Roethlisberger has been rated the third best player, and second best quarterback, in the upcoming draft by ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.

Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning and Texas wide receiver Roy Williams are Kiper's top two prospects.

"I don't think there's any question that (Ben) will be in a spirited battle for that first pick in the draft," Steinberg said.

The Chargers have the first pick on April 24. The quarterback-needy Raiders and Cardinals will follow with the second and third picks.

"Leigh said, 'If you do your part, work out as hard as you can, do the best you can, I'll do my part and we'll be the No. 1 pick,' " said Roethlisberger, who threw for 10,829 yards while at Miami.

Steinberg has represented eight No. 1 draft picks during his 29 years as an agent and had as many as 24 quarterbacks on his client list. That list includes Steve Young, Troy Aikman and Warren Moon.

Steinberg views his client, who completed 69.1 percent of his passes for 4,486 yards and 37 touchdowns as a junior last season, as an amalgam of his best clients. Roethlisberger is spending the offseason in Southern California, where he works with a personal trainer and a private quarterbacks coach.

"They're just teaching me the fundamentals and just toning the skills that I have," Roethlisberger said. "And they're teaching me new things that I need to know that will help me to be that much better."

He will attend, but not work out, at the NFL Combine next month in Indianapolis, waiting instead to showcase his skills during a more intimate session the following month in Oxford.

"That's going to be the big day," Roethlisberger said. "It's a little more individual, one on one stuff. ... That's kind of what we're really working for right now."

Kiper's Top 10

In his latest list of top prospects for April's NFL draft, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. rated Miami quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as the third-best player.

1 - Eli Manning, QB, Mississippi

2 - Roy Williams, WR, Texas

3 - Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Miami

4 - Robert Gallery, OT, Iowa

5 - Sean Taylor, S, Miami (Fla.)

6 - Kellen Winslow Jr., TE, Miami (Fla.)

7 - Kenechi Udeze, DE, USC

8 - Will Smith, DE, Ohio State

9 - Reggie Williams, WR, Washington

10 - Jonathan Vilma, LB, Miami (Fla.)