We recently spent time talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers looking for “AFC North quarterbacks.” The phrase Omar Khan used at the NFL Combine and the implication Mike McCarthy made at the NFL owners meetings, referencing the great size Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and others have.
Of the 2026 quarterback class, who fits the mold? Let’s walk a list. It’ll be based on height/weight, hand size, toughness, and ability to play in the cold. Do all or most of those things and you make the list. This isn’t about the overall quality of the candidate. Just their makeup.
Carson Beck/Georgia & Cole Payton/North Dakota State
Lumping these two together because I’ve already spent time talking about them, including in my initial article on the subject. Both have come in for pre-draft visits as clear signs of Steelers interest or intrigue. At the NFL Combine, they were the only two to weigh 230-plus pounds or have 10-plus inch hands.
Beck and Payton have plenty of differences. Beck has far more experience against far better competition but a much worse arm. Payton is a big project whose mechanics must be cleaned up. And while Payton played at North Dakota State, he was in the Fargo Dome instead of open air (he, of course, played some away games outdoors).
On paper, both fit the mold of “AFC North quarterbacks.” Pittsburgh will also bring in Arkansas’ Taylen Green, but I don’t list him here because his lanky build doesn’t fit the typical mold of what the Steelers are referring to.
Drew Allar/Penn State
Many of you reminded me about Allar in my previous post. He wasn’t someone I forgot but wasn’t listed because the team had yet to bring him in for a visit. To date, Pittsburgh still hasn’t. But no question, he fits the mold with size and toughness. At the NFL Combine, Allar measured in at 6052, 228 pounds with 9 7/8-inch hands. Not many modern-day passers are built like him.
He showed toughness at Penn State, taking hits in the pocket and competing hard despite often a lack of wide receivers. From Medina, Ohio, and playing in State College, throwing in the elements is nothing new to him, either. Allar is an excellent fit of the definition.
Fernando Mendoza/Indiana
In the interest of being thorough, we’ll include Mendoza on the list. He fits even if there’s a 99.99 percent chance the Las Vegas Raiders will draft him later this month. Mendoza checks in at 6046, 236 pounds with 9 1/2-inch hands.
Few players at his position, let alone in the draft, are tougher than Mendoza. He showed that throughout the Hoosiers’ 2025 national title campaign, taking a nasty hit from Ohio State EDGE Caden Curry to begin the Big Ten Championship Game, missing one play, and coming back in to lead Indiana to a win.
Unfortunately, the only way Pittsburgh will see Mendoza is if the Steelers play the Raiders.
Jacob Clark/Missouri State
Clark began his career at Minnesota but after three years as a backup, transferred to Missouri State. In 2025, the school made the jump from the FCS to FBS, joining Conference USA. The school held its own, posting a 7-6 record and making a bowl game.
Clark goes 6047, 230 pounds with 10-inch hands. He’s a classic pocket passer with limited mobility. But he’s a tough customer who stands tall in the pocket and played hurt, missing just one game after being put on crutches after taking a hit while diving for the goal line. He’s a borderline draftable prospect and hardly the team’s next franchise quarterback, but he has the look.
Jack Strand/Minnesota Moorhead State
Cole Payton was the main attraction at his NDSU Pro Day, but Strand received an invite to participate in the school’s workout, too. He reportedly had a strong throwing session to garner NFL interest. Per NFL Draft Scout, a tremendous resource, Strand checked in at 6037, 243 pounds with 10-inch hands and showed some athleticism with a 4.78 40-yard dash, 35-inch vertical, and 10’1″ broad.
He had a strong career, throwing for more than 3,500 yards and 42 touchdowns last season. His D-II competition is an obvious concern, and Strand seems likely to sign a contract post-draft. Maybe that’ll be in Pittsburgh.
Others to Consider:
Aidan Bouman/South Dakota: (6051, 218, 10-inch hands)
TJ Finley/Georgia State: (6-7, 230)
Jalen Kitna/UAB: (6043, 229, 10-inch hands)
Matthew Rueve/IUP: (6044, 215, 9-inch hands)
Nate Hampton/Gardner-Webb: (6045, 240)
Lumping the rest together because they are likely to be tryouts instead of signings. Bouman transferred down from Iowa State and threw 26 touchdown passes in 2025. Finley has been a true football nomad, playing for LSU, Auburn, Texas State, deep breath, Western Kentucky, Georgia State, and briefly enrolling at Incarnate Word this year before just recently declaring for the NFL Draft.
Kitna is the son of former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna. Jalen struggled at UAB and has serious off-field allegations to address (charges against him were later dropped) but could end up in a camp. Rueve is interesting. Beginning his college days at Boston College, transferring to Findlay, and then IUP, he was a Harlon Hill nominee for the D2 Heisman. He broke the school’s record for passing yards with 3,338in 2025. Hampton transferred from Liberty and threw 10 touchdown passes with four more rushing scores in 2025. He played well against Ohio to open the year.
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