The Pittsburgh Steelers figure they have at least a stopgap option at quarterback following the signing of former first-round bust Mitchell Trubisky.
With that said, there’s still a cloud of uncertainty surrounding Pittsburgh’s long-term health at quarterback following the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger.
Trubisky’s two-year, $14.29 million contract speaks to this. It’s pretty much nothing more than a one-year deal with the Steelers being able to get out from under the contract with a $2.63 million deap cap hit following the 2022 season.
In talking about his team’s quarterback situation recently, outgoing Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert admitted that they are still looking to add a quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft.
“Anything we did in free agency will not preempt us from taking another player at any of those positions. That’s why coach [Mike Tomlin] and I have been casting a pretty big net throughout this process. Is that saying we’re taking one? Possibly. We just want to make sure we’re covered with that class.”
Kevin Colbert, via Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (h/t Pro Football Talk)
Pittsburgh wasn’t necessarily linked to big-name quarterbacks earlier in the offseason before the likes of Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson and Matt Ryan were ultimately traded. In fact, the team’s interest seemed to be limited to Jimmy Garoppolo.
As for Colbert, he also covered why Pittsburgh didn’t pull off a trade for a quarterback — indicating that they “didn’t want to get into trade areas because we felt there were other players we’d need those picks to secure.”
Related: 2022 NFL mock draft, Pittsburgh Steelers find their guy
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback options in the 2022 NFL Draft
In addition to Trubisky, Pittsburgh boasts holdovers Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins. In particular, Rudolph believes that he can be the starter and has acted the part of Big Ben’s heir-apparent for the better part of the past few years.
With that said, the Steelers’ decision to sign Trubisky places into question Rudolph’s future in the Steel City. Hence, why quarterback remains an option in the 2022 NFL Draft. Here’s a look at a few of the names these Steelers will be linked to over the next month or so.
Related: Full 7 round Pittsburgh Steelers mock draft
Malik Willis, Liberty: Willis is jumping up draft boards big time after stellar performances during the NFL Scouting Combine and Liberty’s Pro Day. He’s a dual-threat quarterback with a ton of arm talent and has been compared to 2021 No. 3 pick Trey Lance. Selecting 20th overall, Pittsburgh would have to trade up for him.
Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh: Here’s another quarterback the Pittsburgh Steelers would likely have to trade up for. Hand size had become an issue for Pickett prior to him pretty much putting that to the side during his pro day. In terms of what he might bring to the table for Pittsburgh, Pickett is considered the most-accomplished QB in the draft (42 TD, 7 INT in 2021).
Matt Corral, Mississippi: At this stage in the pre-draft process, it’s Willis and Pickett as the top quarterbacks with Corral leading the charge as a tier two option. The 6-foot-1 signal caller tallied 31 total TD against five interceptions a season ago and is seen as a mid first-round prospect. Pittsburgh likely wouldn’t have to trade up for him.
Sam Howell, North Carolina: There’s a real possibility that the Steelers could even trade down in Round 1 while still landing Howell. He hasn’t received the pre-draft hype that most had expected after acting as a full-time starter for the Tar Heels over the past three seasons. Of all the first-round prospects, he’s the most pro ready.
Carson Strong, Nevada: Notice how Colbert didn’t necessarily point to the first round as an option for the Pittsburgh Steelers finding their next QB? There’s good reason for this. Strong (6-foot-4) fits the bill of the type of signal caller Colbert and the Steelers prefer. That is to say, your prototypical drop-back signal caller. He could also be had in Round 2.