Quarterback: you either have one or you don’t.
The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t have one, period.
Sure, Aaron Rodgers could be a nice stopgap in 2025, and Mason Rudolph can hold down a starting role for a season if needed, but the Steelers need a long-term, viable option at the position. The 2025 NFL Draft is shaping up to be where the Steeler address the quarterback position.
Though it’s largely considered a poor quarterback class overall, compared mostly to the 2022 NFL Draft class, the Steelers are showing a lot of interest in the position in the class, meeting with Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Texas’ Quinn Ewers and Ohio State’s Will Howard, while also having pre-draft visits with Louisville’s Tyler Shough and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart.
Without a second-round pick due to the DK Metcalf trade, things could be a bit difficult for the Steelers to address the position, unless they do it at No. 21 in the first round. Or they could wait until the third round at No. 83 overall, or later.
For Pro Football Focus’ Jordan Plocher, the Steelers have two ideal fits, should they target the position early or late. That would be Dart or Syracuse’s Kyle McCord if they were to address QB later.
“The Steelers need to explore a new direction at quarterback, and Arthur Smith’s offense leans heavily on play-action. Dart led the nation in play-action drop backs and threw for over 2,600 yards off play-action in 2024, making him a strong scheme fit,” Plocher writes. “McCord, meanwhile, is a prolific deep passer who would pair well with Pittsburgh’s talented wide receiver group.”
Dart is a popular name that continues to be connected to the Steelers, especially in mock drafts. It helps that the Steelers spent a good amount of time meeting with him at the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine and now reportedly will host him for a pre-draft visit in April.
He’s a guy who might need to sit and learn early in his tenure but profiles as a solid fit in Arthur Smith’s scheme. But, to land him, there’s a good chance the Steelers would have to select him at No. 21 in the first round. That might be a bit too rich for the talent level Dart brings to the quarterback position.
So, waiting until Day 2 or Day 3 might be the Steelers’ most viable option, especially with all of the holes they have still on the roster, including along the defensive line.
If they decide to wait, a player like McCord makes a great deal of sense.
He had a tremendous 2024 season with the Orange after transferring from Ohio State. McCord led the nation with 4,779 passing yards, won 10 games with the Orange, won the Holiday Bowl MVP award, and broke former Clemson QB Deshaun Watson’s ACC single-season passing record.
In a scouting report for Steelers Depot, Tom Mead compared McCord to Gardner Minshew II and wrote that he has solid arm strength, good pocket presence and reads defenses well while utilizing the whole field.
“McCord has solid height, good weight, and a good football IQ. He has solid arm strength, a good understanding of the offense, and reads defenses effectively. He has a good pocket presence, gets the ball out quickly and accurately, and uses the whole field. His accuracy and timing are good and give the receiver a chance to run after the catch.
“Areas to improve include his mechanics and accuracy when off-platform, staying on his toes in the pocket, and accuracy on crossing routes. Manipulating defenders with his eyes and letting the ball fly on deep routes outside the numbers will benefit him in the future.”
Though the Steelers haven’t shown much interest in McCord so far, if at all, he’s a player who makes a great deal of sense on Day 3 as an option for the Steelers at quarterback.
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