Whether or not Aaron Rodgers signs with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, they are on the hunt for the future of their quarterback position. GM Omar Khan admitted their current situation is not ideal and that a long-term solution could come this year or next. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Steelers insider Gerry Dulac thinks they are all-in on finding the future of their franchise in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
“I think really, and I don’t know this fellas, but the sense I get is that they’re all-in on a quarterback in 2026,” Dulac said this morning via 102.5 WDVE’s morning show with Randy Baumann. “They know they have to stop this cycle and go find a guy.”
If this current draft class were any better, they would probably be a bigger player in the first-round quarterback market. The issue is, there are only two or three QBs who may go in the first round and there isn’t a strong consensus on any of them other than Cam Ward. There is also the issue of the Steelers lacking a second-round pick this year and having the third-worst draft value in the NFL.
That hasn’t stopped them from doing their due diligence on the second tier of quarterbacks in this class. They haven’t had any reported interest in Ward or Sanders, but they have in almost every other notable quarterback. Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough were reported pre-draft visitors, and they met with Jalen Milroe and Will Howard before their respective Pro Days.
Whether or not they draft a guy in the third or fourth round, it’s unlikely to change their primary focus of finding a better talent in 2026.
“A lot of compensatory picks next year. You look at all those starters they lost, the guys who’ve signed big contracts, they’re going to get a number of third- and fourth-round picks,” Dulac said. “Maybe you make a trade [with] one of your established stars and you get a second-round pick next year. All of a sudden you start packaging picks, and you move up in the first round.”
According to Over The Cap, the Steelers are projected to get the maximum number of comp picks possible next year with four. It’s very likely that will work out to one third, two fourths, and one sixth-round pick. That alone should put the Steelers in the top 10 for draft value next year. Regardless of whether the Steelers make a playoff run and select late in the draft or not, they should have plenty of flexibility to move around the draft.
Some of the big names that are projected to be available in the 2026 draft at quarterback are Arch Manning, Nico Iamaleava, Drew Allar, LaNorris Sellers and Sam Leavitt. It is also very likely that a name not on people’s radar at the moment will rise up the boards with a strong 2025 season.
It would be pretty special to have the Steelers’ future franchise quarterback walk the stage in front of a Pittsburgh crowd as they host the draft next year.
