The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the most puzzling teams this offseason in terms of how they have handled their quarterback position so far. Many are still expecting Aaron Rodgers to be the guy they bring in to give them a chance to compete for a championship in 2025, but that saga has continued to drag out without any clear ending in sight.
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Aaron Rodgers stands with Mike Tomlin before a game while he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.
Should the Steelers not be sold on adding Rodgers, the 2025 NFL Draft is the only other real option to add any worthwhile talent to the quarterback room this offseason. There have been many quarterbacks tied to the Steelers in this year's draft, most notably Shedeur Sanders, but taking a quarterback in the first round of this year's draft might be tricky if someone like Sanders doesn't fall into their lap.
There are potentially options later in the draft, however. In their most recent mock draft, Mel Kiper and Field Yates alternated picks through the first three rounds. Both of them realized the Steelers need a quarterback at some point in the daft, but waited until the third round when they ended up trading up with the Las Vegas Raiders.
"Kiper: OK, one more trade. We've seen only four quarterbacks off the board, and none of them went to the Steelers.
Yates: I agree. They don't have a second-rounder after trading for DK Metcalf, but waiting until No. 83 for a QB is risky."
The projected trade had them sending their 83rd overall pick and a 2026 third-round pick to the Raiders in exchange for the 68th overall pick this year. The team doesn't have a lot of draft capital this year like Yates mentioned, but sacrificing a 2026 pick where they are expected to have several compensatory picks shouldn't hurt too much.
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Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe during a college game.
They ended up selecting Jalen Milroe from Alabama with the 68th pick for the Steelers, who is definitely a polarizing player within Steeler Nation due to his extremely high upside, but also very high risk.
"There's still a good chance the Steelers sign Aaron Rodgers, but he isn't under contract yet," said Kiper on the Steelers' QB situation. "They should draft a quarterback for the long-term, but they might need to draft a quarterback for the short-term, too. Milroe has the arm to hit DK Metcalf and George Pickens downfield, and he can take off as a runner when he gets an opening."
Taking a quarterback at some point throughout this year's draft wouldn't shock anyone should the Steelers decide to do so, but in a relatively weak quarterback class compared to the 2024 and 2026 draft classes, it makes taking one this season seem like a forced decision similar to the selection of Kenny Pickett in 2022.
Steelers Select Defensive Lineman In First Round Of Mock Draft
While trading up for Milroe in the early third round will definitely be the more talked about selection if the Steelers decide to go that route, the more important pick for 2025 will likely be their first round selection.
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Oregon DT Derrick Harmon during a college game in 2024.
In this version of their mock, Yates ended up having the Steelers select Derrick Harmon from Oregon at 21st overall, who can hopefully provide an immediate spark along the defensive line and give a solution for Cam Heyward's eventual retirement.
"Harmon led all FBS players in pressures from a DT alignment last season (34). And while the defensive line is strong in Pittsburgh, the roster could start looking to the future. Cameron Heyward will be 36 this season, so I like the idea of building with Harmon and Keeanu Benton. And as for the quarterback situation, I'm holding off. Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are off the board. It makes sense to wait until later in the draft (and sign Aaron Rodgers)."
There is no doubt the Steelers need to add to the defensive line in the draft, especially since they released Larry Ogunjobi without adding anyone that appears to be a direct replacement for him yet. We all saw how the Steelers' run defense suffered at the end of last season, that can't happen again in 2025.
Do you think the Steelers should trade up to select Jalen Milroe? Let us know in the comments below!
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