The NFL draft is one of the most important events of the year for teams. That means the Pittsburgh Steelers have to focus on it, even though they’re still waiting on Aaron Rodgers. Although it seems like only a matter of time before Rodgers joins the Steelers, no deal is done yet. It’s unclear when Rodgers will make a decision. He could even wait until after the draft. If that is the case, maybe the Steelers will be more inclined to draft a quarterback in the first round. Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel thinks they have to address the position with their first pick.
“If you’re the Pittsburgh Steelers, at 21, you have to take a quarterback,” Daniel said Tuesday on his Scoop City podcast. “You have to. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. They don’t have a future quarterback, and they’ve struggled developing quarterbacks when Mike Tomlin’s been there.”
It’s tough to say that the Steelers have to take a quarterback in the first round. Right now, it is their biggest weakness. Their room consists of Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. That doesn’t scream contender, even if Tomlin has faith in Rudolph.
However, forcing themselves to draft a quarterback in the first round might be a mistake. The position is not a strength of the 2025 draft. Cam Ward is the top guy, and he has a lot of potential, but it looks like he’s almost certain to be the No. 1 overall pick. The rest of the quarterback prospects have a lot of questions.
Based on some recent reports, it sounds like the Steelers could consider drafting Shedeur Sanders if he falls to 21. However, it feels unlikely that he’d tumble down the board that far. If the Steelers took any other quarterback in round one, it would probably feel like a reach.
The last time Pittsburgh did that, they ended up with Kenny Pickett. It’s fair to criticize how Tomlin and the Steelers managed Pickett, but clearly, he wasn’t going to become a franchise quarterback.
The Steelers have a ton of other issues, too. While Rodgers wouldn’t be a long-term answer, he should at least be serviceable. If the Steelers finally get him to sign a deal, they wouldn’t be as desperate for a quarterback. They might be better off spending that first-round pick on some other position, like a defensive lineman.
Maybe they can take a quarterback in a later round but pick 21 is too valuable to not consider other options.
