Steelers' 2026 NFL Draft Plans Have Already Taken A Gigantic Blow

Even though the 2025 NFL Draft has just occurred, the Pittsburgh Steelers already seem to have a very obvious plan for 2026: use their insane draft capital to trade up in the first round to select a quarterback. They are projected to have 11 total picks, including three third rounders and a pair of fourth rounders. The next class will supposedly be full of great passer prospects, but the 2025 regular season has to happen first. While they do have a plan, there may already be a massive hole in it. 

While making an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, draft analyst Ryan Wilson was asked about Mel Kiper Jr's take on top prospect Arch Manning not declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft, and Drew Allar likely being the first quarterback taken off the board. Wilson had to agree with the first part of that statement.

"Physically, [Allar] checks all the boxes," said Wilson. "I do think that Arch is going to go back to school from what I've heard as well."

Manning has barely played in his two years with the Texas Longhorns, so there is still a lot for him to learn at the college level. Barring injury, it's all but confirmed that he will be the full-time starter for Texas in 2025, and his play there will determine if he truly needs another year in the NCAA or not, but the likelihood is that going back for his senior year will be very beneficial to his ability to play at the NFL level down the road. 

If Manning does go back to school in 2026, the rest of the quarterback class is a little shaky. Nothing is set in stone for that draft before the season starts, but there are still lingering questions around many of the other projected top passers of the draft. For example, Allar might physically be a first-round talent, but his mechanics have been very hit-or-miss, so he will have to work on those a lot.

Nico Iamaleava will also have the chance to be drafted in that class if he chooses not to proceed with his senior year. Like Allar, Iamaleava is a physically gifted quarterback that can make all kinds of plays, but his mechanics were not great, and his flaws were routinely exposed by Top 25 teams. If he were to be drafted, he would likely be a long-term project, and that may not be worth trading up for.

Steelers Need To Figure Out Their Quarterback Situation Soon

2025 will be the second consecutive year that the Steelers roll with a bridge quarterback. If Manning goes back to school and the Steelers are not big fans of anybody else, there is a realistic chance that they go three consecutive years without any sort of long-term plan on the team. Maybe they sign Aaron Rodgers, but he's 41 years old and many believe he had an overall bad year with the New York Jets in 2024. Mason Rudolph was given backup quarterback money to return to Pittsburgh on a two-year deal, but he's likely not a long-term solution either.

It makes sense that the Steelers didn't want to take a big swing on a very weak quarterback class in 2025. However, that is not sustainable for every single year. Even if Allar and Iamaleava are not the most inspiring signal-callers out there, they have to have some sort of long-term plan in place for that position. They can't just use veteran bridge guys forever.

The primary positive of the Steelers drafting Will Howard is the fact that they won't completely turn over the quarterback room for a third year in a row, as analysts and insiders have mentioned. This constant turnover of the entire position room is unacceptable for the team. They need consistency, and that requires actually taking a high-ceiling prospect and developing him correctly, as opposed to waiting for some elite veteran to hit the open market. Of course, this plan also requires a promising up and coming prospect the team believes in.

What do you think about Manning probably not declaring for the 2026 draft? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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