With Ben Roethlisberger retiring, the Steelers find themselves in a position they haven’t been in in over 18 seasons, needing a starting quarterback.
During his final press conference of the season Mike Tomlin said that when it comes to the QB position all options are on the table.
They could go with Mason Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins, even though Tomlin didn’t give ringing endorsement of either, saying they’ll need to work for it and neither has shown to be a starter in the league.
They could also go after a quarterback in free agency or, less likely, trade for a high-profile player like Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers.
Then of course, there is the possibility of the draft.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper sees the Steelers taking Ole Miss QB Matt Corral at No. 20
Kiper says the Steelers will be a contender right away if they get the quarterback position figured out. He doesn’t see them going after a veteran quarterback.
“I don’t see backups Mason Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins as NFL starters,” said Kiper. “They do have a strong core on both sides of the ball though. If they acqure a veteran signal-caller via free agency or in a trade, this could be a spot to target a linemen to help a below-average O-line, but let’s assume for now that they go into the draft without adding one.”
Kiper adds that Corral has the type of mentality that Tomlin likes, “He’s tough.”
Pro Football Focus has Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett hanging around and going at 20 to the Steelers.
PFF says:
A consistent knock on Pickett will be that he’s a fifth-year senior and one of the older quarterback prospects in the 2022 class, but that shouldn’t keep him from being a top-20 pick in April’s draft. A finalist for the Heisman Trophy, Pickett completed 334-of-499 attempts for 4,308 yards, 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. He earned a career-high 92.3 PFF grade that ranked top-five among all quarterbacks in 2021. His PFF passing grade from a clean pocket was also among the best in all of college football at 94.3.
If the Steelers do draft a quarterback in the first round, it’s likely Rudolph would be the starter with the drafted quarterback playing backup.