With Aaron Rodgers still undecided on his future, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback situation remains uncertain. They seem fine with Mason Rudolph as their starter, but that might not end well. Perhaps that will lead the Steelers to draft a quarterback in the first round this year. They’ve certainly shown interest in this class, even though it’s not particularly strong. The University of Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart could be a target for the Steelers. However, former NFL head coach Jay Gruden doesn’t think Dart is ready to come in and save a franchise.
“I think that if a team is expecting this guy to come in year one and be the savior, they’re rudely mistaken,” Gruden said recently on his YouTube channel, Clean Pocket. “I don’t think he’s ready for that. Not even close.
“I think if he goes late in the first to a team with a very good offensive line and a really good receiving group, good defense, then sure, he can come in and play and do some things. But he’s a long way away from me saying, okay, let’s hand the keys over to this cat.”
Opinions on Dart seem to be mixed. Many people view him as the third-best quarterback in this draft class. However, that doesn’t mean he’s a first-round talent. Dart has a lot of flaws. There’s no defining traits, or a thing he does good enough to stand out as a top-end prospect in the draft. Gruden seems to agree with that.
Quarterbacks get over-drafted all the time, so it won’t be surprising if Dart does end up going in the first round. The Steelers don’t need to be the team that rolls the dice with him, though.
Pittsburgh’s pursuit of Rodgers seems to indicate that they want to try to compete for a championship this year. If they can’t land the former MVP, they shouldn’t panic and draft Dart with their first pick. The last time they forced themselves to draft a quarterback in the first round, they ended up with Kenny Pickett. No Steelers fan likely wants a repeat of that process.
Dart probably wouldn’t be a massive upgrade over Rudolph, if he’s an upgrade at all. Look at the criteria Gruden lays out for how he thinks Dart could see some success as a rookie. The Steelers’ offensive line is getting better, but they still have work to do. George Pickens and DK Metcalf give them a solid duo at receiver, but they also have big personalities. A rookie quarterback might not be suited to placate them.
While the Steelers’ defense might be good enough to win them games, that’s been their formula in recent years, and it seems like they want to change it. They want a quarterback that can give them some consistency on offense and help them fight for a championship. Maybe Dart will be a solid starter one day, but he doesn’t fit what the Steelers want to do this year. Taking him in the first round feels unwise.
