The Pittsburgh Steelers cannot afford to leave any stones unturned in their quest for a new quarterback. However, whether one of those stones should be labeled “draft” is hotly debated. Most fan bases get excited when they think about their team drafting a quarterback. That isn’t just for the guys like Matthew Stafford or Caleb Williams, who were taken first overall. Everyone knows there is always a chance you will find a genuine diamond in the rough, like Roger Staubach or Tom Brady, who were selected later in the draft. There are even guys like Drew Brees, a second-round pick, or Russell Wilson, a third-rounder. There is an element of luck involved, which makes it extra exciting.
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Former Steelers QB Kenny Pickett.
Except for when you still have the taste of Kenny Pickett in your mouth. It isn't anything against Pickett. It isn't his fault that the Steelers loved the kid from Pitt and reached for him with pick 20. It is just that the last time the Steelers drafted an outstanding starting quarterback, Kanye West had just released The College Dropout, and Facebook was brand new. The Pickett experiment was an abject failure. He played in Pittsburgh for almost two seasons, but ultimately lost his starting job to Mason Rudolph. When the franchise chose to sign Wilson, Pickett demanded a trade. It's no wonder fans are a bit gun-shy about drafting starting quarterbacks.
Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show was asked by the hosts of The Fan Morning Show on 93.7 The Fan if the Steelers would attempt to find a starting quarterback in the upcoming draft.
"No," Kaboly said emphatically. "Because they all stink. If you're gonna be in a position to draft one, it's gonna be what, third, fourth, fifth round? You might as well use that on a special teams guy, a Miles Killebrew type of a guy, rather than a guy who's never gonna set foot. What are the odds? There's not that many Dak Prescotts out there. If you're gonna get your franchise guy, just go get him next year. I'm more within that realm than saying let's grab one in the third round until we hopefully get one."
This year's quarterback class is more similar to the group available when Pickett was chosen, as opposed to the group in 2024, which was considered a promising group. The teams who pick early, desperate for a quarterback, are expected to reach a bit. This year's group includes Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, and Jalen Milroe, who are talented, but not at the same level as Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, and some others in 2024. This hasn't stopped the Steelers from being linked to someone like Jaxson Dart with the 20th pick overall or taking someone like Milroe in a later round to develop him. Kaboly doesn't see the point in that when a better draft is around the corner.
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Steelers' Alex Highsmith goes for a sack on Jayden Daniels.
While it isn't ideal for the 2025 season, the 2026 draft is shaping up to be a better class of quarterbacks. While it is still very early, players such as Arch Manning, Drew Allar, and Nico Iamaleava are projected to declare. This allows the Steelers to focus on their other many needs this season and hopefully be able to move up to get one of the big names next year.
Steelers Must Focus On Weapons
While the Steelers must figure out their quarterback situation, Kaboly still sees wide receivers as their biggest need in the draft. He believes they will find someone in free agency, but also go and draft a wide receiver with their first pick.
In his opinion, their other major need is the defensive line, which is the deepest group in the draft. He said that it always takes defensive linemen a couple of seasons to develop, and because of that, he thinks they are better selected in the second or even the third round. That way, they can ensure they have an impact player in round one.
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Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe on the run during a game.
Do you agree that drafting a quarterback this year would be a bad move? Tell us what you think below!
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