This time of year can be brutal. Once the excitement from free agency dies down, all that takes place until the NFL annual meeting are sporadic free-agent signings and college pro days. Because Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan are very active on that front, a huge deal is made of every move they make.
Right now, the buzz that's permeating everybody's social media feeds is the Steelers are seriously considering a quarterback in the first round. The name tied to the team most often is Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart. There was even one national talking head that reported -- and I use that term loosely -- that the Steelers are considering Alabama's Jalen Milroe at 21st overall.
I've said it before, and I'll remind everyone again: Don't believe everything you read or hear.
This is what happens when a team needs a quarterback. There's airtime and space on the internet to fill, and the easiest fodder is to talk ad nauseam about the team that most needs a quarterback. And since Aaron Rodgers is clearly content with taking his time, people need stuff to talk about in the interim.
Notice how all of the buzz about the Steelers entertaining a quarterback in the first round are from national outlets or talking heads. Absolutely nothing is coming from Pittsburgh on that front. Are people such as myself reporting interest in certain quarterbacks? Yes, most recently I reported continued interest in Ohio State's Will Howard. But, not for first-round consideration.
The Steelers are not in a position to draft a quarterback in the first round. They gave up their second-round pick to acquire DK Metcalf. If they take a quarterback in the first-round, that means the team is giving up an opportunity to draft a premium defensive tackle, running back or wide receiver, all of which make more sense in this particular draft.
The Steelers still haven't replaced Larry Ogunjobi. They've brought in several rotational pieces, but no starting-caliber players. That can be found in the first round or even the third round. Nobody in the running back room is under contract beyond 2025. This is a great running back class. A legitimate starter, either now or in the next year or two, can be found in the first four rounds. With George Pickens' future beyond 2025 up in the air, entertaining a receiver isn't a bad idea, either.
There's no doubt quarterback is significantly more important than any other position. However, the last thing the Steelers need is to pull another Kenny Pickett. That's what drafting Dart or Milroe would be. It'd be heading down the same road.
Neither Dart or Milroe profile as a future franchise quarterback. The upside for both guys is intriguing, but their floor isn't high enough to realistically assume they'll develop into the caliber of quarterback that can drive an offense and go toe to toe with the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and others.
Take a shot on a guy in the third or fourth round? Sure. Absolutely. This is what teams need to do while searching for the next franchise quarterback. It's throwing darts at a dartboard in the dark. But, there's a way to turn the lights on, providing a better chance to hit the bullseye.
The Steelers are loading up on compensatory picks for the 2026 draft. According to OverTheCap.com, the team is currently projected to receive a third-round pick for the loss of Dan Moore Jr., a fourth-round pick for Justin Fields, a fifth-round pick for Russell Wilson and a sixth-round pick for losing James Daniels. There's even a chance that Fields and Wilson turn into third-round picks through incentives and playing time. That's a ton of draft capital. And it just so happens that next year's class of quarterbacks project to be better than this year's. There's always a chance that could change. There's still a whole college season to play.
Either way, the Steelers have something next year they don't have this year: The ammunition to go get a quarterback they believe can be their next guy -- a real franchise quarterback. Taking Dart or Milroe in the first round this year would be committing multiple years to a player that stands a better chance of turning into another Pickett rather than another Ben Roethlisberger. And, they'd only have one other Day 2 pick and four Day 3 picks to upgrade the roster. While there could be some nice finds at defensive tackle or running back, they'd be missing out on adding an impact player at either position, specifically in the trenches.
Next year, with the assets they'll have at their disposal, they can go get pretty much whoever they want. That's what the Chiefs did. In 2016, they went 12-4 and won the AFC West. In the next draft, they traded up 17 spots to go get Mahomes.
Drafting Dart or Milroe in the first round this year would be a panic move, motivated by desperation. While we've seen this franchise make desperate picks in recent years (i.e. Devin Bush), that's not Omar Khan's philosophy. Everything he's done is very calculated. And, upgrading the trenches has been part of that. That's why taking a defensive tackle in the first round is far more likely than anything else.
What everybody else is talking about .. ain't it.
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THE ASYLUM
Chris Halicke
2:30 pm - 03.28.2025DowntownQuarterback buzz is out of control
This time of year can be brutal. Once the excitement from free agency dies down, all that takes place until the NFL annual meeting are sporadic free-agent signings and college pro days. Because Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan are very active on that front, a huge deal is made of every move they make.
Right now, the buzz that's permeating everybody's social media feeds is the Steelers are seriously considering a quarterback in the first round. The name tied to the team most often is Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart. There was even one national talking head that reported -- and I use that term loosely -- that the Steelers are considering Alabama's Jalen Milroe at 21st overall.
I've said it before, and I'll remind everyone again: Don't believe everything you read or hear.
This is what happens when a team needs a quarterback. There's airtime and space on the internet to fill, and the easiest fodder is to talk ad nauseam about the team that most needs a quarterback. And since Aaron Rodgers is clearly content with taking his time, people need stuff to talk about in the interim.
Notice how all of the buzz about the Steelers entertaining a quarterback in the first round are from national outlets or talking heads. Absolutely nothing is coming from Pittsburgh on that front. Are people such as myself reporting interest in certain quarterbacks? Yes, most recently I reported continued interest in Ohio State's Will Howard. But, not for first-round consideration.
The Steelers are not in a position to draft a quarterback in the first round. They gave up their second-round pick to acquire DK Metcalf. If they take a quarterback in the first-round, that means the team is giving up an opportunity to draft a premium defensive tackle, running back or wide receiver, all of which make more sense in this particular draft.
The Steelers still haven't replaced Larry Ogunjobi. They've brought in several rotational pieces, but no starting-caliber players. That can be found in the first round or even the third round. Nobody in the running back room is under contract beyond 2025. This is a great running back class. A legitimate starter, either now or in the next year or two, can be found in the first four rounds. With George Pickens' future beyond 2025 up in the air, entertaining a receiver isn't a bad idea, either.
There's no doubt quarterback is significantly more important than any other position. However, the last thing the Steelers need is to pull another Kenny Pickett. That's what drafting Dart or Milroe would be. It'd be heading down the same road.
Neither Dart or Milroe profile as a future franchise quarterback. The upside for both guys is intriguing, but their floor isn't high enough to realistically assume they'll develop into the caliber of quarterback that can drive an offense and go toe to toe with the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and others.
Take a shot on a guy in the third or fourth round? Sure. Absolutely. This is what teams need to do while searching for the next franchise quarterback. It's throwing darts at a dartboard in the dark. But, there's a way to turn the lights on, providing a better chance to hit the bullseye.
The Steelers are loading up on compensatory picks for the 2026 draft. According to OverTheCap.com, the team is currently projected to receive a third-round pick for the loss of Dan Moore Jr., a fourth-round pick for Justin Fields, a fifth-round pick for Russell Wilson and a sixth-round pick for losing James Daniels. There's even a chance that Fields and Wilson turn into third-round picks through incentives and playing time. That's a ton of draft capital. And it just so happens that next year's class of quarterbacks project to be better than this year's. There's always a chance that could change. There's still a whole college season to play.
Either way, the Steelers have something next year they don't have this year: The ammunition to go get a quarterback they believe can be their next guy -- a real franchise quarterback. Taking Dart or Milroe in the first round this year would be committing multiple years to a player that stands a better chance of turning into another Pickett rather than another Ben Roethlisberger. And, they'd only have one other Day 2 pick and four Day 3 picks to upgrade the roster. While there could be some nice finds at defensive tackle or running back, they'd be missing out on adding an impact player at either position, specifically in the trenches.
Next year, with the assets they'll have at their disposal, they can go get pretty much whoever they want. That's what the Chiefs did. In 2016, they went 12-4 and won the AFC West. In the next draft, they traded up 17 spots to go get Mahomes.
Drafting Dart or Milroe in the first round this year would be a panic move, motivated by desperation. While we've seen this franchise make desperate picks in recent years (i.e. Devin Bush), that's not Omar Khan's philosophy. Everything he's done is very calculated. And, upgrading the trenches has been part of that. That's why taking a defensive tackle in the first round is far more likely than anything else.
What everybody else is talking about .. ain't it.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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