Justin Fields? Russell Wilson? Ryan Tannehill? It’s been Groundhog Day for Steelers fans over the past few weeks with the team being linked to seemingly every available quarterback this offseason. That is, except for the ones at the top of the draft. In Pro Football Focus’ podcast NFL Stock Exchange, host Connor Rogers lists Pittsburgh as a team that should trade up in the draft to pick one of the top quarterbacks.
“Pittsburgh is interesting,” said Rogers. “They need a better quarterback. I think ultimately they go the pro market and hold onto Pickett and let Pickett kinda float around behind a pro-acquisition, but you can’t rule out that one. Tomlin can always get you there, they have a good roster, they’ve improved this roster over the past couple years with good drafting, but they’re not in the driver’s seat to get one of the top quarterbacks. But man going from 20, that’s unchartered territory.”
Is the Steelers trading up a pipedream like Rogers eludes to? Sure, but I love to dream, so let’s quickly dive in.
This season there are three big dog quarterbacks at the top of draft circles: Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels.
Williams, a former Heisman trophy winner, seems poised to be the top overall selection. In his freshman season at the University of Oklahoma, the gunslinger took over for Spencer Rattler and never looked back. Since then, Williams has been tabbed as a generational prospect drawing similarities to Patrick Mahomes for his ability to improvise. I’d put the Steelers chances of moving up to grab him at zero.
Next up, we have Maye. If you’re looking for the next Josh Allen, Justin Herbert or even (whispers) Ben Roethlisberger, this is your guy. Maye is a big, 6-4, 230 pound, strong-armed quarterback who comes from a family of athletes. He’s creative in the pocket and has the ability to shrug off would-be tacklers to make ‘wow’ throws, eerily similar to Roethlisberger. Maye took over for Sam Howell after he headed to the NFL, and didn’t miss a step, tossing for 3,608 yards and 24 touchdowns, while also rushing for 449 and nine touchdowns in 2023. It was a bit of a step down from his 2022, which has caused rumors to swirl that his stock may be a bit lower than some expect, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
Lastly, we got Daniels. The 2023 Heisman Trophy-winner had one of the most impressive seasons you’ll ever see this year. He is the definition of a dual-threat quarterback throwing for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns. Daniels’ slender build and lack of consistency throughout his career may give some teams pause, but the raw ability is impossible to miss. He is an elite deep ball thrower, who will give defenses fits. Lamar Jackson is a name that comes up a lot when comparing Daniels, but I hesitate to compare anyone to a two-time MVP. Instead, I see lots of similarities to Robert Griffin III in Washington. Phenomenal athlete, who can push the ball down the field at will. Daniels is being flip-flopped with Maye as to who the better prospect is, but when it’s all said and done, I’d bet he will come off the board third.
After reading those words, you sadly have come to the same conclusion I have – the Steelers will most likely not be acquiring one of the top quarterbacks.
In fact, the team’s draft position is more than likely what prompted Mike Tomlin to say he believes the team’s starter for next season is already on the roster.
Additionally, Rogers is right. A jump from 20 to one of the top-5 or so spots in the draft is an unprecedented jump. The compensation to make such a move would likely need to be historic and would signify the Steelers going all-in. And top quarterback prospects don’t always work out right away—just look at Bryce Young’s first season.
Fans may not like it, but Kenny Pickett is likely to be the Week 1 starter for the 2024 season.
