The Pittsburgh Steelers loaded up on 2026 draft capital, and they were probably hoping they could use that to take a swing on a quarterback. Unfortunately, this quarterback class looks much weaker than many expected. While the Steelers still have a lot of draft capital, Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t want them to consider spending any premium draft capital on a quarterback.
“I’m still very, very strongly going against getting a quarterback in the first round,” Roethlisberger said Tuesday on his Footbahlin’ podcast. “I wouldn’t even get one in the second round. If you’ve got those third rounds and you’re not gonna do something with them, if you want to try to grab someone in the third round that you really like, maybe there.
“I wouldn’t package my third-rounders to move up to get a second-round quarterback. I would not mess with a quarterback this draft, unless you want to snag one in the late-third or fourth round. Just someone to compete to have extra bodies, one of those whatevers.”
Roethlisberger has explained in the past that he believes it’s important to build up the rest of the roster before landing a franchise quarterback. The Steelers have been doing that for the past few years, and it might be wise to continue on that path.
Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza will be the first pick. The only other quarterback that’s getting first-round buzz is Alabama’s Ty Simpson. The Steelers met him at the Combine, but he’s a significant risk, having started only one year in college. While Simpson had a solid year, he struggled to finish the season, making his small sample size hard to evaluate.
Other signal-callers could be available in the second or third round, though. That includes Penn State’s Drew Allar and Miami’s Carson Beck. The Steelers also met with both of them at the Combine, so they have interest in them.
However, they both have serious flaws. Roethlisberger is probably right that it’s best to steer clear of them. They have other needs to address with that draft capital.
The Steelers are expected to have three third-round picks, so perhaps they could grab a quarterback there. However, it doesn’t sound like Roethlisberger loves that idea, basically viewing anyone taken that late as a camp body.
That’s probably not too far off base. In an already-weak quarterback class, it’s unlikely that the Steelers will find a quality signal-caller that late in the draft. They want to be Super Bowl competitors in 2026. As a result, they’re hoping that Aaron Rodgers will re-sign with them. If he does, then using their draft picks to upgrade the roster around the quarterback is a good idea.
Recommended for you