Steelers Land Intriguing QB Successor For Aaron Rodgers In New PFF Mock Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 6-2 and in first place, but the question of who replaces Aaron Rodgers is never far away. Rodgers has said 2026 will be his final season, and that means the Steelers could be shopping for a quarterback again next spring. A new mock draft from PFF has a suggestion. It sends the Steelers the most efficient passer in college football this season, even with Pittsburgh picking late in the first round.

PFF's Dalton Wasserman released his latest 2027 first-round mock draft this week, and he had the Steelers taking Miami quarterback Darian Mensah at No. 26. He explained the pick by pointing to Mensah's accuracy.

"Mensah has been college football's most efficient quarterback this season, leading the FBS with a 76.8% completion rate while throwing 28 touchdown passes and just two interceptions," Wasserman wrote.

Those numbers jump off the page. A completion rate near 77% with a 28-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio is the kind of production that gets NFL teams interested, especially a team with a 42-year-old starter on his way out.

Wasserman was not blindly endorsing the pick, though. He noted that questions remain about Mensah's physical tools, and about whether he can keep playing at that level without star receiver Malachi Toney, who is sidelined by an injury. Those are fair concerns for any quarterback whose production comes with an elite weapon next to him.

The most telling part of the mock might be how many quarterbacks went before Pittsburgh was on the clock. Wasserman had five other passers going in the first round, and four of them came off the board before No. 26.

The Miami Dolphins took Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker at No. 3. The New York Jets followed with Notre Dame's CJ Carr at No. 6, and the Arizona Cardinals grabbed Texas star Arch Manning at No. 9. The Cleveland Browns added Oregon's Dante Moore at No. 18 with a pick acquired from the Los Angeles Rams. After the Steelers took Mensah, the Minnesota Vikings went with Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss at No. 28.

The AFC North showed up elsewhere in the round, too. Wasserman had the Bengals taking Notre Dame safety Brauntae Johnson at No. 23, pointing to Cincinnati's struggles covering the middle of the field this season. The Browns' pick of Moore means two division rivals could be adding young talent that the Steelers will see twice a year.

That is the reality of winning games. The Steelers' strong start means they are likely to pick in the bottom third of the first round, which puts the top quarterbacks out of reach unless general manager Omar Khan trades up. SteelerNation looked at that idea earlier this week in a story on a new, more aggressive plan to find the next franchise quarterback. Mensah is the type of prospect who could be there at the end of the round without a trade.

Mensah's profile is also different from what the Steelers have tried in recent years. He is not a big, raw passer who needs time to develop. His calling card is accuracy and decision-making, and that is exactly the area where Pittsburgh has struggled to find consistency at the position for most of the last decade.

The Steelers also have options already in the building. Young quarterbacks Drew Allar and Will Howard are both learning behind Rodgers this season. Insider Mark Kaboly recently put a high number on Allar's chances of starting in Week 1 next year, and SteelerNation covered how Allar got strong backing to replace Rodgers. If the team believes in Allar, a first-round quarterback would be a luxury instead of a need.

Steelers Face A Big Quarterback Decision In 2027

That is what makes the 2027 offseason so interesting. The Steelers could ride with a young passer they already drafted, they could aim for a polished college quarterback like Mensah late in the first round, or they could try to move up for one of the bigger names. Each path has risk, and the answer may depend on how the rest of Rodgers' final season plays out.

For now, the focus is on Sunday night. The Steelers face the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium with first place in the AFC North on the line. A win would keep Pittsburgh in the driver's seat, and it would probably push their draft slot even further down the board. That is a problem most fans would gladly accept.

This story was produced with the help of AI and reviewed by SteelerNation editors.

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