The football-crazy town of Pittsburgh hosts the NFL Draft for the first time starting with Thursday’s Round 1, and one of my favorite things about drafts now that they shift cities is watching the reaction of home fans to that first-round pick. The Steelers have a potential gaping hole at quarterback, but taking one with their first pick of the draft, currently No. 21, is a +1800 long shot. That said, they are among the favorites to pick one notable QB at some point.Â
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I think it’s fair to say that 31 of 32 NFL teams have their 2026 starting quarterback already on the roster (sorry Arizona) or will by the end of Thursday night, with the Raiders set to choose Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall to start the draft.
The Steelers may not have their 2026 starter on the roster, as once again the team is being held hostage by the selfish diva Aaron Rodgers. According to multiple reports, the team has not heard from the future Hall of Famer whatsoever about his retirement plans. And Rodgers has no plans to tell them, either, before the draft starts. That’s really pathetic, but as a free agent the four-time MVP can do whatever he wants.
Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen recently said he thought the odds of Rodgers’ return were “50-50.” I haven’t seen any recent sportsbooks odds on Rodgers, but Kalshi has a “Will Aaron Rodgers retire before the 2026-2027 season?” market with No shares currently priced at 82 cents.
I personally think he does come back because he craves the attention, he gets a reunion with former Packers coach Mike McCarthy, and Rodgers did have his moments last year – including a strong Week 18 to upset Baltimore and get Pittsburgh to the playoffs. However, in a home blowout Wild-Card round loss to Houston, Rodgers looked very much past his prime in completing barely 50% of his throws for 146 yards, a pick and four sacks taken.
Mason Rudolph and Will Howard, a 2025 sixth-round pick out of Ohio State, are currently atop the Pittsburgh QB depth chart. So, should the Steelers look quarterback at No. 21 overall?Â
DraftKings oddsmakers clearly don’t think so in listing signal-caller behind offensive lineman (+140), receiver (+160), safety (+700), defensive lineman/pass rusher (+800), cornerback (+1000), tight end (+1400) and linebacker (+1400). The only options longer than QB at +1800 are running back (+4000) and kicker/punter/special teams (+8000).
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Alabama’s Ty Simpson is considered the No. 2 QB prospect on the board and probably will still be there given an Over/Under draft position of 24.5. That Simpson is drafted by Pittsburgh, regardless of where, is +1600. The last time the Steelers took a first-round QB of course was Kenny Pickett at No. 20 overall in 2022 and that obviously busted.
I don’t expect the Steelers to look QB in Round 1, but certainly any later round is fair game, and that brings us to Miami’s Carson Beck. Remember, entering Georgia’s 2024 season he was considered a potential No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft. But Beck regressed and got hurt. He rebuilt his reputation somewhat with the Canes last season in helping lead them to the national title game. But Beck still makes really bad decisions at times, so he’s not Round 1 material.
The Dolphins are +300 favorites to be the team to choose Beck, but the Steelers are next at +330. They have 12 picks overall, including No. 53 overall and three in the third round and now we are likely in Beck’s range. McCarthy and his scouting staff have been doing their homework on potential Day 2 QBs like Beck, Drew Allar (Penn State) and Garrett Nussmeier (LSU).
Outside of potentially QB, receiver, offensive line and safety are considered the biggest needs. The Steelers have DK Metcalf at wideout and traded for the Colts’ Michael Pittman and extended him. But downfield speedster Calvin Austin III left in free agency, so the team has just two other receivers on the roster with meaningful playing experience: 2024 second-rounder Wilson and Ben Skowronek, a special teams demon.
Arizona State wideout Jordyn Tyson could be the pick at No. 21 if he’s there, and the Steelers are +1200 to be his selecting team. A few CBS Sports mock drafts have it falling that way. Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. is another possibility and he’s +800 to be chosen by Pittsburgh.Â
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Pick:Â Steelers take an offensive lineman with their first pick, look receiver in Round 2 … and maybe use one of their three third-round picks on Beck if still there. Â
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