Until the Pittsburgh Steelers pull the trigger on quarterback Aaron Rodgers, speculation about a Round 1 rookie quarterback will continue. Even if it comes to fruition, those conversations might linger.
However, it remains unlikely that the Steelers are in range for Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, whose stock could feasibly slip toward the middle of Round 1. There will be real conversations to be had should he begin to fall, particularly within range of a trade-up in the first round.
Until then, the team’s April options under center are questionable, and as they encroach upon Round 1, they are becoming increasingly risky.
Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart (left) with head coach Lane Kiffin (right)
Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
As such, Steelers fans are saying the same thing about a potential first-round quarterback.
The Pittsburgh faithful have spent the draft cycle acknowledging their collective status in quarterback purgatory. That has seemingly destined them to a Day 2 passer, if at all, headlined by Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe.
Taking shots on mid-to-late-round quarterbacks is the ugly path out of said purgatory, and it’s easy to get behind a quarterback on Day 2. Taking the best player on the board in Round 1 can amplify a playoff-ready roster, and a second-round passer offers upside without worrying risk.
Taking a second-round passer on Day 1, however, is where the trouble begins.
The Quarterback Industrial Complex is a seemingly inevitable development in which lesser passing prospects find their value inflated by the media, desperation, and the promise of a fifth-year option. Sometimes, that lends itself in consensus Day 2 prospects hearing their name called in the first round, many of whom struggle in the NFL.
Hello, Kenny Pickett.
Now, it would be unfair to Dart and Milroe to suggest that they will fail at the next level. But both have holes in their profile that should make teams hesitant, and being picked in Round 1 brings a burden of expectations, urgency, and second chances that can spoil promising prospects.
Dart, through his simple Lane Kiffin offense and tendency to be late against man coverage, profiles as a dangerous early-round proposition. Milroe, whose athleticism and arm strength are matched only by his inconsistencies, might face even more of an uphill climb.
Either could very well end Pittsburgh’s drought under center. From a process perspective, though, a Round 1 selection is both possible and worthy of pushing the panic button over.
