With free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers undecided on whether he will play for the Steelers, another team, or retire, the Steelers enter the NFL Draft on Thursday in a difficult situation.
The Steelers only have quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson signed to the team. Rudolph is sufficient, but the Steelers need to prepare for the future. With the 21st pick in the draft, the Steelers have numerous options if they decide to use their pick on a quarterback.
If he falls, they can get Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. He had a phenomenal last three years, totaling 3,702 yards, 35 touchdowns, six interceptions, and a passer rating of 112.8. While he is a top 15 pick, he could slip down to the Steelers.
If Sanders is unavailable, the team should look to Ole Miss quarterback Jaxon Dart. He had a spectacular last year of college, racking up 4,276 yards, 29 touchdowns, and just six interceptions through 13 games.
If quarterback is not a major concern for the Steelers on night one, the team needs to look to draft a defensive lineman, as they released Larry Ogunjobi. Also, although the team has Cam Heyward, they need to think about the post-Heyward era.
The Steelers should draft Ole Miss’s Walter Nolen, Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, or Oregon’s Derrick Harmon.
However, Nolen might be off the board at the 21st pick, potentially going to the Arizona Cardinals or the Cincinnati Bengals. Grant and Harmon have more potential to still be on the board.
Grant had three sacks, one hit, 23 hurries, and five batted passes, while Harmon had five sacks, seven hits, 43 hurries, and two batted passes last season. While Grant is the higher-ranked defensive lineman on PFF, the Steelers have recently been favorites to land Harmon. Even with Grant on the board, they should look toward Harmon instead of Grant.
If the Steelers draft a lineman in the first round, they could try to draft either Riley Leonard, a quarterback from Notre Dame, or Will Howard, a quarterback from Ohio State, on day two or three if one of the two falls.
Also, if they do not trade up, they will need a running back on either day two or three. While the Steelers have ex-Philadelphia running back Kenneth Gainwell, the Steelers lost Najee Harris to the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency.
The Steelers invited nine running backs to a pre-draft visit, the most of any position. A noticeable standout is Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson. He had 1,488 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. For an expected third-round pick, Sampson would be exactly what the team needs to try to fill the hole after Harris’s departure.
Regardless of how the Steelers pick, they need someone from each of these three positions to have an above-par season.
