One of the more intriguing storylines that has developed over the last couple weeks of the pre-draft process is the prospect of the Pittsburgh Steelers targeting a quarterback in the first round. With Cam Ward almost certainly gone after the first pick or two, that would presumably leave three possible quarterbacks whom the Steelers could consider at No. 21 overall – Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart and Jalen Milroe.
Sanders is the only one who doesn’t have reported ties to the Steelers throughout the pre-draft process, and he is also the least likely to be available at No. 21 when the Steelers make their first pick. The other two have a pretty good chance of being available. Would the Steelers consider a quarterback if one falls?
“They pass,” Mark Kaboly said Monday via the Kaboly + Mack podcast on YouTube. “[If] you’re making that assumption, you’re signing Aaron Rodgers, that indicates to you that they’re keeping George Pickens for all intents and purposes unless George comes and says, ‘I want out now,’ which it doesn’t seem like that’s the case. The Steelers are under the impression they want to win now. Right now, there is no tomorrow. There is no next year. And guess who does not help you [this] year? Jackson Dart and Shedeur Sanders.”
He didn’t mention Milroe by name, but the same logic would presumably apply to any quarterback in the first round.
The Steelers always position themselves to win in the current moment. Mike Tomlin has said that his guys work too hard for him to be focused on anything other than winning now. That philosophy has generally served the Steelers well over the years, but they are now going on 10 years without a playoff win. Times are changing, and I think the mentality has to slightly shift along with it.
I don’t think the Steelers have fully committed to this year with no regard for the future. Omar Khan outright said that their decisions in free agency this year were influenced by the compensatory picks likely coming next year. They could have signed one of these big-money defensive ends in free agency, but it would have wiped out the third-round compensatory pick they are projected to get for Dan Moore Jr. signing elsewhere.
What do Aaron Rodgers and Darius Slay have in common? They were both cut by their former teams and will have no bearing on the compensatory pick formula for 2026. The other big addition they made was by trade and while acquiring WR DK Metcalf sacrificed some draft value in 2025, it did nothing to hurt their 2026 value. They obviously have an eye on the future.
Not to say they aren’t focused on winning now. Their pursuit of Aaron Rodgers is a clear indication that they want to be as competitive as possible in 2025.
To be clear, I would prefer if the Steelers do not draft a quarterback in the first round in this weak class. I have been on the d-line train since the beginning of the pre-draft process. But it wouldn’t surprise me if they did end up drafting a QB at No. 21 if they love one of the prospects.
Ian Rapoport reported that the Steelers are among the teams that have spent the most time with Dart. Colin Cowherd said an NFL executive told him the Steelers love Milroe and would take him in the first round.
Milroe was just invited to attend the first round of the draft, which is a good indication the league thinks he will be taken over the first 32 picks. The Steelers had a Pro Day dinner with him.
Sanders is the wild card in all of this. If he falls, would the Steelers be forced to take a long look at the possibility of drafting him? Adam Schefter thinks that Sanders is the only QB the Steelers would draft in the first round.
The wait is over in just over two weeks from now, but it sure doesn’t feel like quarterback can be ruled out in the first round.
