Steelers Must Pounce On The Opportunity To Land A Potentially "Generational" Rookie QB

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a tricky spot when it comes to the quarterback position. The team needs a starter for the 2025 season, but it also needs a future at the position. The Steelers need to find their next franchise quarterback, and it might be hard to do so as the organization doesn't pick until the 21st selection of the 2025 NFL Draft. By that time, there is a chance that both Jaxson Dart and Shedeur Sanders are off of the board, with Cam Ward also being gone as the first overall selection.

Pittsburgh is still waiting on a decision from Aaron Rodgers, but whether he signs or not should not affect how the organization feels about a quarterback in the upcoming draft. The Steelers need to find a player that can be their franchise quarterback, as it is nearly impossible to have any postseason success without above-average play at the position. Rumors have been swirling about Sanders potentially falling to Pittsburgh, but Dart should be the player the Steelers are targeting.

Aaron Schatz of ESPN recently talked about the quarterback prospects and their chances of being good quarterbacks or busts. In his article he used formulas to project these metrics, and he turned Dart's biggest knock into a positive.

"However, scouts are less high on Dart in part because of his relative lack of size (6-foot-2, 223 pounds) and arm strength, as well as the one-read offense he ran under coach Lane Kiffin." Schatz wrote. "It is worth noting that aside from Drake Maye and JJ McCarthy, last year's quarterbacks did not come from pro-style offenses, yet their rookie years ranged from solid to generational."

The 2024 season saw some great quarterback play from rookies. Jayden Daniels lit the league on fire for the Washington Commanders, and Bo Nix brought the Denver Broncos back to the postseason. Caleb Williams also impressed at times, while Michael Penix Jr. looked good in his few starts. All four of these quarterback ran similar offenses to Dart, where it was one-read and then take off or check it down.

The best rookies in the league during the 2024 season came from similar offenses to Dart, and Dart is getting knocked for it. If anything, the performances of these quarterbacks in 2024 should show that making the transition to a pro-style offense is doable, as long as an organization trusts its coaching staff in guiding the rookie.

Dart is widely considered the third-best quarterback in the class, however his completion percentage and rushing yards per attempt were both better than Ward's and his complete percentage was nearly as high as Sanders'. He did this in the SEC, which is considered the toughest conference in college football. 

Schatz' formulas suggested that Dart has the best shot of the three quarterbacks when it comes to being an adequate starter in the NFL, and the former Ole Miss quarterback has an 11 percent chance to be considered elite. This paired with the parallel from the 2024 season should force the Steelers into drafting Dart with the 21st pick if he is still available.

Steelers Can't Wait Until 2026 To Draft A Quarterback

Throughout the entire 2025 offseason there has been talk about the quarterbacks in the upcoming draft class not being all that great, and the group probably does not compare to the class from 2024. However, that doesn't mean a team like the Steelers couldn't find some value at the position. Fans in Pittsburgh are a little sensitive when it comes to drafting a quarterback due to the Kenny Pickett selection in 2022, but both players the Steelers have any chance of landing in the first round are better prospects than Pickett.

What do you think about Pittsburgh drafting Dart? Let us know in the comments below!

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