The Pittsburgh Steelers executed a great draft strategy in 2025. They essentially let a bunch of players walk away in free agency (who wound up having poor seasons on their new team), so they could rack up some extra compensatory picks and use those to help find the quarterback of the future. However, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, and the 2026 quarterback class is projected to be one of the worst in recent memory. Many pundits believe that there is no surefire can't-miss prospect at the position in 2026. The only one that's seen as a capable starter is likely going to go first overall.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan holds up a phone to his ear as he stands in the team's War Room during the 2025 NFL Draft.
In his weekly Q&A chat, Brian Batko was asked about the potential of the Steelers trading away some of 2026's picks to gear up for 2027. It could work, but they should not put all their eggs into that basket.
"I don't think that's out of the realm of possibility for an analytical GM like Omar Khan," Batko said. "HOWEVER, this year is a cautionary tale of how we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves overestimating next year's QB class. We were so sure 2026 would be better than 2025 and it's not."
Entering 2025, there were projected to be so many different quarterbacks that had the ability to go in the first round. However, none of those guys did well, as Fernando Mendoza shot up the ranks to become the consensus first overall pick. The 2026 Senior Bowl only made things more concerning, as the passers had a hard time dealing with the cold and wind throughout the game as they kept rotating.
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Former LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier during an away game at Alabama.
Unlike 2025, the Steelers don't have a bunch of veteran quarterbacks that other teams would want to sign, and they don't have an offensive lineman for a team to overpay, so they likely won't rack up a ton of compensatory picks for the 2027 draft. They could trade some of these selections for 2027 ones, but there's always the possibility that the same exact scenario pops up again.
There have been concerns that NIL deals have affected the development of college athletes. The idea for that is players are no longer gunning for a big payday down the road, and they want that money now. If that is the case, who knows if there will be another highly sought quarterback draft class for the Steelers to take advantage of? This wait-and-see approach can only go on for so long.
That's part of the reason why the Steelers hired Mike McCarthy to be the head coach. If these quarterbacks are not developing well in college, someone in the NFL has to get these guys on the right track. The hope is that there is some raw prospect with high upside coming into the draft sooner rather than later, and this offensive-minded coach can explain to him how to be a quality passer at the NFL level.
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Former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers go over plays in an NFL game during their time in Green Bay.
Using a lot of draft capital on a quarterback can be a risk, but it's one the Steelers need to take, whether it's in 2026 or 2027. They can't just rely on veteran bridge quarterbacks at the end of their careers forever. They need to take actual steps to draft and develop a new face of the franchise. Aaron Rodgers is likely not going to go back to his 2020 form at his current age.
Steelers Need To Also Learn From McCarthy's Old Team
The odds of a quarterback becoming a high-end starter in his first year out of college keep dropping with every passing year. The Steelers should take notes from the Green Bay Packers on how to maximize a prospect's potential: have him learn as a backup for as long as needed, give him some reps here and there, and then turn him loose with more knowledge.
What do you think about the Steelers' quarterback conundrum? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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