The Pittsburgh Steelers are still looking to land their long-term future franchise quarterback, but few expect them to take another swing on one early in the draft his year on the likes of a Michael Penix Jr. or a Bo Nix. While the Steelers brought in the former for a pre-draft visit, few take that as a sign of clear interest.
Still, CBS Sports lists the Pittsburgh Steelers as the best team fit for the latter, Nix. Author Garrett Podell doesn’t actually expand on why the Steelers in particular are a fit for him. He notes offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, though, so that’s presumably a clue.
“Much of [Nix’s] production last season, particularly college football’s single-season completion percentage record of 77% in 2023 was aided by Oregon’s scheme”, he wrote. “Nix threw a screen pass on 22.1% of his drop backs last year, the 12th-highest rate in the country, and his 6.8 average depth of target in 2023 ranked as the eighth-lowest in the nation among 274 quarterbacks with at least 150 drop backs, per Pro Football Focus. Between that and the way his footwork breaks down under pressure, causing him to throw across his body and be late on downfield passes, his NFL future could be murky”.
Podell notes that Nix is the most experienced quarterback prospect in NFL history with 61 collegiate starts. Having extra years of eligibility doesn’t hurt in gaining experience, of course. Originally playing for Auburn, he transferred to Oregon in 2022 and played out his final two years of eligibility there.
In 2023, Nix completed 364 of 470 pass attempts for 4,508 yards. He averaged 9.6 yards per pass attempt with 45 touchdowns to just three interceptions, far and away his best numbers. But teams will question how he translates outside of the Ducks’ offensive system.
At 6-2, 214 pounds, Nix is not the biggest quarterback, but he has enough athleticism for his purposes. Although he threw a lot of screen passes last season, he’s also amply capable of pushing the ball down the field. He does struggle with his footwork in the pocket, relying on his mobility to escape pressure too often.
Recent trends seem to be pushing Nix potentially out of the first round in some draft projections. He’s unlikely, I think, to fall as far as 51 in the second round, however, where the Steelers select. If he were available and the Steelers didn’t have to trade up, perhaps it at least makes it interesting.
Still, they already completely remade their quarterback room this offseason. Gone are Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph, with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields now running the show. I’m not sure they want to add Nix to that mix right now, but if the price is right…
