We’re well into another offseason and the Pittsburgh Steelers are still without a secured future at quarterback. Naturally, that’s causing many to link the Steelers with pretty much any QB in this year’s draft. Yet former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis believes they need to hold off on drafting a quarterback for now.
“You gotta take a step back, and you gotta say, ‘We don’t have the necessary components to put around the quarterback,'” Bettis said Wednesday on the Chipped Ham and Football podcast. “‘Let’s not really worry about the quarterback position as much. Let’s get ready to help whatever quarterback we have. Because right now, we weren’t helping whatever quarterback we had on the field.’ I do believe you need to really address, offensively, the receiver position and the offensive line as well.”
It’s hard not to worry about the quarterback position in today’s NFL. Especially when you’re a team like the Steelers, waiting on a 42-year-old to make a decision, with only a recent sixth-round pick and a career backup currently on the roster. It’s why many are pairing the Steelers with Ty Simpson in the first round.
Unfortunately, there’s no special quarterback prospect the Steelers are going to be able to select this year. Anyone they do choose will be something of a project. And you need the right pieces around any developmental quarterback for them to succeed.
The Steelers have a formidable receiving duo, but not much beyond that for a rookie QB. Roman Wilson is hoping to take a bigger step under a new coaching staff, but if Rodgers comes back the two are going to need to get past their incompatibility from last year. At left guard and left tackle, things are a little questionable as well. Broderick Jones seems to be recovering well. But neither he nor Dylan Cook have proven a ton yet at the NFL level. And Pittsburgh might want to upgrade from Brock Hoffman or Spencer Anderson at left guard.
The good news is that Pittsburgh has five picks in the first three rounds. And in the first two rounds, both the offensive line and wide receiver groups have some intriguing prospects. And for what it’s worth, the Steelers have done a solid job filling out the rest of their offense so far.
After losing Kenneth Gainwell, the Steelers gave Jaylen Warren a different running mate in Rico Dowdle. The latter has experience with Mike McCarthy and has rushed for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons with different teams. The Steelers will add to the tight end position, but Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington are a good foundation there. And while they need more depth at receiver, DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. will make any quarterback’s life easier.
Yet you can never put enough talent around a QB, and Bettis thinks that’s what the Steelers should focus on for now.
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