The Pittsburgh Steelers have a clear need at quarterback, and they could use the 2026 NFL Draft to take a swing on a signal caller in the first year under new head coach Mike McCarthy.
It’s very unlikely to be in the first round, and the second round doesn’t have talent worth grabbing there at the position.
The third round, though? That might be the sweet spot for the Steelers.
Longtime NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay believes the Steelers are in a great spot in that round and will likely use one of their three third-rounders on a quarterback.
“That’s a great spot for Pittsburgh, [Omar] Khan, Andy Weidl and the guys. I think…one of those will be a quarterback, but not necessarily has to be,” McShay said of Pittsburgh’s third round, according to audio via the podcast. “I think one of those would be a quarterback, whether it’s a Carson Beck or a [Garrett] Nussmeier or someone like that or a Cole Payton.”
McShay’s co-host Steve Muench pushed back on that, stating that drafting one of those three would be like adding another Will Howard, crowding the quarterback room.
But McShay didn’t want to hear it.
“Take hacks, bro. Take hacks,” McShay responded.
That’s the type of mindset the Steelers need to have at the quarterback position right now. They don’t have their franchise quarterback right now, nor are they in a position to land a franchise-caliber quarterback in the first round this year. So, take swings on mid-round quarterbacks and hope to hit on one.
Guys like Miami (FL)’s Carson Beck, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and North Dakota State’s Cole Payton all make sense for the Steelers. Beck and Payton fit the mold McCarthy talked about wanting and needing at the quarterback position to play AFC North football, while Nussmeier makes sense due to his family connection to McCarthy and his skillset translating to the West Coast-style offense McCarthy runs.
Of course, the Steelers have expressed their belief in Will Howard throughout the offseason, so there’s going to be some work on his development this season. But the internal feeling is that Aaron Rodgers returns for a second season. So, drafting a quarterback to sit behind those two and making Mason Rudolph the odd man out in 2026 might not make a ton of sense.
It’s the most important position in sports, though, and the Steelers need to take swings at the position. One of those three third-rounders being a quarterback seems like the best use of those assets for the Steelers, especially with 12 picks.
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