Steelers At Risk Of Repeating The Kenny Pickett Mistake During The 2025 NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers are once again entering an offseason with a dilemma at the quarterback position. Either Justin Fields or Russell Wilson could be re-signed by the team, or the organization can explore other options throughout the league. Attacking the position in the 2025 NFL Draft is also a possibility, but the pool of quarterbacks entering the draft is relatively bleak. If the Steelers decide they want to bring in a rookie quarterback, it probably won't be with a high pick, but there is a slim possibility the franchise decides to bring in a new quarterback on day one or two of the event.

The most common quarterback prospects that have been linked to the Steelers are players like Will Howard and Jaxson Dart, who are both currently expected to be available on the second day. Pittsburgh could find some unexpected value in either of those players, or it can go in a different direction completely. 

One quarterback that is rising up draft boards is Tyler Shough out of Louisville. Todd McShay, a well-respected draft analyst, can see the quarterback being selected as early as the first round. He spoke about this on The McShay Show, and specifically named the Steelers as a landing spot.

"The audience wants to know like who's QB1, who's QB2? Where are they going? I get it." McShay said. "That's what we do. But I also am saying for the benefit of all these guys, and it's probably not going to happen with Cam Ward, it's probably not going to happen with Shedeur, by the sounds of things they're going to go in the top-10 picks, but you might be better off getting him [Shough] late in the first, like I don't know a team like Pittsburgh. Or early second, where the pressure's not on and you get a year to develop."

Shough is an intriguing prospect, and put on a good performance at the Senior Bowl in 2025. He is expected to continue to rise up draft boards, and he could end up being the third quarterback in the draft behind Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. 

This doesn't mean the Steelers will select him in the first round. McShay was more so saying that top quarterback prospects would be better off falling to better teams later in the first round. Shough is more likely viewed as a second or third-day quarterback.

Shough has been playing college football since 2018, and he started out his career as the backup to Justin Herbert at Oregon. He then transferred to Texas Tech, and he finished his career with Louisville. If Pittsburgh does end up selecting Shough at any point in the draft, he will likely be compared to Kenny Pickett. 

Pickett was 24 years old coming out of college, while Shough is currently 25. This isn't the end of the world, but it likely means he is near fully developed and there isn't much room for growth.

It is highly unlikely the Steelers use their first-round pick on a quarterback, but Shough may be considered in the second round. McShay's thought process behind this is that the teams selecting later in the draft have better rosters, which means it is easier to succeed there than with a bad team picking at the top of the board. Shough's experience and talent could give him a chance to have a decent amount of success immediately.

Steelers Will Pay Close Attention To Shough's Medical Testing

Shough has struggled with injuries throughout his collegiate career. He has suffered injuries to his shoulder, ankle, and also broke his fibula during the 2022 season and underwent surgery. As a 25-year old rookie, teams throughout the league will be paying close attention to his medical testing to see if he would be a reliable quarterback to select. 

Although there is speculation that Shough will be the third quarterback off the board in April, that could be as late as the third round of the draft. The quarterback pool is not as strong as recent years, so teams will be hesitant in drafting players at the position.

What do you think about Shough coming to Pittsburgh? Let us know in the comments below!

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