In most aspects, this isn’t a good offseason for the Steelers to have to search for a new QB. It’s part of the reason there’s already so much talk about Aaron Rodgers returning for another year.
Part of the ugly outlook comes from the draft. After the first overall pick, there really isn’t a standout prospect at the position. With a few other big needs on the roster, there’s a good chance the Steelers don’t use any of their best draft capital on the position, especially if Rodgers does come back.
However, the Steelers do have 12 picks to work with, including seven on the third and final day of the draft. CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson thinks one of the Steelers’ Day 3 picks could be used on Taylen Green, a QB out of Arkansas.
“This is gonna be a true test for Mike McCarthy, the quarterback guru, who’s coached all sorts of quarterbacks in his 30+ years in the league. Taylen Green, out of Arkansas. Big, long, athletic, and he can throw the ball a mile. Now, he is as raw as raw can come. And he admitted to me at the Senior Bowl that he will force balls and get lazy and make mistakes in terms of interceptions he shouldn’t throw,” Wilson said Tuesday on CBS Sports HQ. “I love the upside on him, but he cannot play year one. That is gonna be a project, but also fun to watch.”
In an otherwise bland QB class, Taylen Green offers the Steelers some splash. One of his biggest attributes comes from his legs. Green is a terrific runner who can spring a big play at any given moment.
Across the league, QBs who can threaten a defense as runners have become more of a norm, and it would be a different approach for the Steelers. Green certainly represents that. But he has a talented arm, too. He can throw to every area of the field, and understands the difference between rifling a ball into a tight window and using enough touch to layer it between defenders down the field.
With all of that said, Wilson is correct in his assessment that Green is a project. His mechanics, especially in his lower half, are very inconsistent. And he certainly had a tendency to play hero ball at Arkansas. Green was constantly looking for the big play, which resulted in plenty of turnover-worthy throws. Too often, he simply refused to take what the defense gave him. Our Alex Kozora took a deeper dive into his game here.
Those are all worthy criticisms. But it’s also worth mentioning how bad that Arkansas team was. It doesn’t excuse putting the ball in harm’s way. But if Green wasn’t scoring touchdowns nearly every drive, the Razorbacks probably weren’t winning those games. He knew he needed to put plenty of points on the board to give his team any chance at winning, as his defense allowed the eighth-most points per game in all of College Football at 33.8.
It will be different in the NFL, so Green will certainly have to be a little more conservative. But the ceiling is very high with him. If he’s available early on Day 3, he’s certainly worth taking a stab at, considering how many picks the Steelers have and their need for QB.
Recommended for you