Don't Be Surprised If The Steelers Draft One Of These Successful Collegiate Quarterbacks in 2023

The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to have the future at the quarterback position for at least the next few years with Kenny Pickett. After being selected 20th overall in 2022, he started his first career game in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills. Going forward, he will be the guy at the top of the depth chart, but he suffered two concussions during his first season and the team will be cautious at the sign of any head/neck or other injuries early in his career. That makes the backup quarterback position pivotal; an area of the team that is currently in question.

Mitchell Trubisky began 2022 as the starter before relinquishing his duties to Pickett. His contract is quite lucrative for 2023. He is due over $10.5 million, but Pittsburgh could save $8 million in cap space by releasing him. It has been a heavily debated topic and many believe he is way too expensive to keep around.

Assuming for cap purposes the team is leaning this way, the front office will still need to go out and sign a reliable and preferably experienced signal-caller in order to not only help with Pickett's development, but be ready to go if need be. Names like Jacoby Brissett and Case Keenum might make sense in that role.

However, the Steelers historically have three quarterbacks on the roster and signing two in free agency is unlikely unless familiar face Joshua Dobbs is okay coming back for an inexpensive price. That's hard to buy into though after he got a chance to prove at the end of 2022 that he deserves to be at least a primary backup elsewhere.

After selecting two quarterbacks in the NFL Draft a year ago, would Pittsburgh do it again? The answer is yes, given the fact there are a few that will likely get selected in the seventh round, where the Steelers have two picks. Here are some names to keep an eye out for.

1.) Steelers Could Target Houston QB, Clayton Tune

Tune played 47 total games in college and totaled 11,994 passing yards while adding 104 touchdown passes. The Cougars are known for their pass-heavy offense and Tune also stands out because his size is similar to that of Pickett. At 6'3", 215-pounds, his playing style would fit in with whatever offensive coordinator, Matt Canada has in store for Pickett's second year. 

He's a solid athlete and his speed is similar to Pittsburgh's current starter. If he falls into the seventh round and the draft is going well, don't be surprised if Omar Khan takes a chance. If the coaching staff likes him throughout the process, the lack of fifth and sixth round picks may be the reason he's not a Steeler.

2.) Max Duggan, TCU

Duggan had the opportunity to show his skills on a national level during the College Football Playoff. Another guy with size at 6'3", it'd be surprising if he was anything more than a third-string or practice squad player in the NFL. But the Steelers could very well need a late-round prospect to come into the role the Mason Rudolph played in 2022.

He's not a great passer and, for the most part, struggled tossing the ball through the air against top defenses. Regardless, no one is expecting the next seventh-rounder to be Brock Purdy and Duggan could be a prospect Pittsburgh takes a look at.

3.) Jake Haener, Fresno State

Haener isn't talked about too often and won't be highly-touted by anyone due to his size and injury history. He did show an ability to have great timing on throws throughout college and had 68 career touchdowns to only 18 interceptions for Fresno State. His junior year was his best with over 4,000 yards passing in 13 games, 33 touchdowns and just nine interceptions.

None of these guys are the future at quarterback for the Steelers; Pickett is. But, if Trubisky is released and only one veteran is brought in, Pittsburgh will probably target a signal-caller late in the draft similar to last year with now Super Bowl champion, Chris Oladokun. 

Do you expect Pittsburgh to draft a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft? Let us know in the comments below!

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