There are still 13 games ahead in the regular season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it’s never too early to pay attention to the 2026 NFL Draft class, which promises to be quarterback-heavy. That bodes well for the Steelers, who should be in the market for a franchise signal caller.
While Aaron Rodgers is playing well, he’s 41 years old, and there’s no guarantee he will be back for 2026, either. Mason Rudolph is a solid backup, and rookie Will Howard will remain a major unknown throughout the rest of the season unless something goes drastically wrong.
So, the focus has to be on the draft class for the Black and Gold. Though some bigger names have struggled and hurt their draft stock somewhat, others are rising. One such rising name happens to be one that CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson connected to the Steelers in his latest mock draft.
That would be USC’s Jayden Maiava, who Wilson selected for the Steelers at No. 15 overall. Maiava was the third QB off the board in the mock draft behind Oregon’s Dante Moore at No. 1 to the New York Jets and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza at No. 7 to the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Jayden Maiava plays with poise and confidence and thrives in the pocket, where he’ll consistently get through progressions and deliver tight-window throws with both anticipation and touch,” Wilson writes of the Steelers’ selection of Maiava in his mock draft. “He can make accurate, layered throws to all levels of the field, shows escapability under pressure and can create plays out of structure.
“At 6-foot-4, Maiava has a big arm, and he’ll use it to exploit coverage mismatches on intermediate and downfield throws.”
A former four-star recruit who shockingly chose UNLV over other major offers, Maiava eventually transferred to USC and worked his way into the starting role late last season. Since stepping into the starting lineup, Maiava has been an intriguing quarterback option that is largely unconsidered.
So far this season, the Trojans’ quarterback has thrown for 1,587 yards with 11 touchdowns and just one interception. His best game of the season came in Week 2 against Georgia Southern, in which he threw for 412 yards and four touchdowns during a blowout win. He also threw for 364 yards, two touchdowns and one interception against Illinois.
NFL Mock Draft database has Maiava climbing from around the 700 mark to No. 75 overall, placing him as a Round 3 grade midway through the season. That might seem like a stretch for a guy who could be a first-rounder next April, but that’s how things work with the QBs each and every draft class.
We’ll see what develops over the next few weeks, both in the college landscape and in the NFL with the Steelers. But quarterback remains a significant need for the Black and Gold long-term, and options are emerging.
