After replacing Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky with Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Kyle Allen, the Pittsburgh Steelers are unlikely to draft a quarterback of consequence in this weekend’s NFL Draft.
However, this doesn’t mean the Steelers are immune from the impact of the quarterback draft market over the first two days of this year’s NFL selection process. After all, the more quarterbacks taken by other teams, the more tackles, centers, wide receivers, defensive backs and defensive linemen remain on the board by the time the Steelers pick at No. 20.
In our final NFL Draft preview podcast with former pro and college scout Matt Williamson of Steelers Nation Radio, he tells us at least four picks in advance of the Steelers’ slot could be absorbed by quarterbacks.
That would be music to the ears of general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin.
“People are talking about it like it’s a historic (QB class),” Williamson said. “We might even have four go in the top four picks. I think we’ll have four in the top six. Guaranteed, four will be gone before pick 20. I’m hoping for five or six, but I think that’s probably unlikely.”
Those four are USC’s Caleb Williams, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy.
The next two are Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix. Some thought the Steelers should avoid acquiring Wilson and Fields and focus on drafting one of those two QBs instead.
“My theory on quarterbacks is I am swinging for the fences as hard as I can,” Williamson said. “If I strike out a bunch, so be it. I didn’t have a problem with picking Pickett at the time (at No. 20 in 2022). But even more so now, I want a higher upside than him. Give me the most talented dude who works hard. Be very patient with (him) and put (him) in a good situation. And I don’t think Nix or Penix gets to that level.”
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Williamson used Bills quarterback Josh Allen as a baseline.
“Josh Allen was terrible for two years with the Bills. But they were patient with him, and he finally hit his potential,” Williamson continued. “Nix and Penix can’t get there. I think they’re more (at) the Pickett level where, if everything goes well, they could be the 15th-best quarterback in the league and a lesser version of Kirk Cousins. I have my doubts on both of those two.”
Given how this draft class may shake out and where the Steelers are sitting at No. 20, Williamson thinks the Steelers did the right thing by reconfiguring the QB room in advance of this draft instead of trying to see how it might play out this weekend.
Especially since Wilson, Fields and Allen will combine to count just $5.59 million against the salary cap this year.
“It’s a very good quarterback draft. I do believe that. I don’t think that’s just hype,” Williamson said. “But considering what it cost them to totally revamp their quarterback room, I’m in favor of what they did. I don’t know that Fields is going to get rejuvenated here, or Wilson is going to get rejuvenated here. But the risk of what you’re paying for those two is so minimal.”
Also, in the podcast, Williamson and I discuss some shortcomings in Wilson’s game, quarterback draft projections in general, this year’s crop of NFL running backs, and why a run on RBs will help the Steelers in the same way a run on QBs will.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.