The Pittsburgh Steelers need a quarterback, and opinions as to how they should find one are all over the place. Some think drafting a player like Jaxson Dart with the 21st overall selection could be a good move, albeit a bold one. Others even think a player like Shedeur Sanders could slide right into the Steelers’ lap. One additional name that might begin to creep further onto the radar is Louisville’s Tyler Shough. ESPN’s Louis Riddick specifically thinks Shough would be a good fit in Pittsburgh, and he revealed that he’s even spoken to offensive coordinator Arthur Smith about the prospect.
“Does Pittsburgh trade down in the draft and maybe pick up a quarterback here late in the first round?” Riddick asked Wednesday on Get Up. “Is a guy like Tyler Shough, is that a guy that would be perfect for this football team? Who [Shough] has a big arm, lots of mobility. I was talking to Arthur Smith about him at the Combine. Keep an eye on this.”
The biggest takeaway here is Riddick’s mention of a conversation with Smith. At the Combine, mostly everyone is talking to each other, so the conversation itself isn’t a major story. However, Riddick says to “keep an eye” on it, which alludes to Smith holding a positive view of the young quarterback.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time this offseason Riddick’s had a sense of Smith’s preferences at the position. He’s also claimed that Smith is fond of Justin Fields. With that in mind, Fields still might be the Steelers’ more likely answer at QB. Despite being only one year older than Shough, he’s now got four NFL years under his belt. One of those came with the Steelers, where he proved he can win, albeit during a limited sample size.
However, the Steelers aren’t in a position where they can be confident of landing their franchise quarterback this offseason. With that in mind, taking multiple swings at the position can’t hurt. It’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility that they take a player like Shough in the draft.
Shough does have some strengths. Those include an impressive arm and mobility as Riddick brings up. Our own Alex Kozora takes a deeper look at the Louisville QB here.
All of that said, selecting him in the first round may be a reach. The Steelers have plenty of other needs, and most of those needs are at positions where the draft is strong this year. Still, if Shough is available on Day 2 of the draft, he’s a player who might slowly be picking up steam on the Steelers’ radar.
