Steelers Linked to Day 3 QB With ‘Long-Term’ Promise

Getty Steelers Wire's Curt Popejoy predicted the Pittsburgh Steelers to draft Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

As the saying goes, the NFL is a copycat league. With former Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy set to start in the Super Bowl on February 11, it will be interesting to see if other NFL teams take fliers on college quarterbacks late in the NFL draft.

USA Today’s Steelers Wire’s Curt Popejoy considered that possibility for the Pittsburgh Steelers in his new mock draft.

Popejoy slotted Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman to the Steelers in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

“Hartman is well-traveled, but the film shows he can make all the throws, shows nice accuracy and throws a great deep ball,” Popejoy wrote. “Hartman is also athletic and does his best work on the move.”

Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings listed several reasons why Hartman won’t be a highly coveted prospect in this year’s draft. But Cummings also argued that on Day 3, he could become a quality selection.

“Hartman’s age and lack of high-end physical traits will limit his range as a 2024 NFL Draft prospect, and he doesn’t quite have the requisite operational profile to compensate,” Cummings wrote. “But in the late Day 3 range, he could field an investment as a passer with long-term quality backup potential.”

Over six seasons with Notre Dame and Wake Forest, Hartman was one of the most productive quarterbacks in college football history. He finished his college career with 15,656 passing yards and 134 touchdowns with 49 interceptions.

Hartman completed 63.5% of his passes for 24 touchdowns while averaging 8.9 yards per attempt for Notre Dame in 2023.

QB Prospect Sam Hartman Struggles at Senior Bowl

With some of the more highly-touted quarterback prospects bowing out of the Senior Bowl, Hartman received an opportunity to raise his draft stock. Instead, though, he may have lowered it with his play.

“Hartman did not impress, completing just seven passes on 25 attempts for 69 yards,” wrote Steelers Now’s Nick Farabaugh. “He led the team to three field goals, but on almost all of the drives, Hartman had issues either reading the defense, which led to a bad interception to Louisville’s Jarvis Brownlee, or had accuracy issues.

“Overall, he ended up with just a 43.2 quarterback rating, and played below-the-line. After a week of seeing him at least tread water, it seemed like he fell off a cliff on Saturday.”

After that performance, Hartman may have work to do to get back his late Day 3 stock.

Cummings described Hartman’s physical traits as not ideal for the NFL level. The fact that he turns 25 in July doesn’t help his case either.

But Cummings also argued that Hartman has just enough mobility and athleticism. The Pro Football Network analyst also wrote that Hartman is “incredibly poised in the pocket.”

Cumming concluded that those traits could make Hartman a candidate to be a long-time backup in the NFL.

Hartman wouldn’t push Kenny Pickett through competition in 2024. But if the Steelers lost Mason Rudolph to free agency, they could re-sign another veteran to push Pickett and draft Hartman as the team’s developmental signal caller.

It’s also possible that Hartman will be available as an undrafted free agent after the 2024 draft.

Other Potential Day 3 QB Selections for Pittsburgh Steelers

Hartman is an interesting quarterback candidate for the Steelers because of his low-risk value. But he’s hardly Pittsburgh’s only option even if the team identifies Day 3 as the earliest it wants to target a signal caller.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo suggested South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler could be a draft target for the Steelers.

“Rattler was a young phenom, throwing for 116 touchdowns on his way to becoming the consensus No. 1 quarterback in the 2019 recruiting class,” Fittipaldo wrote on February 2. “Five years later, after a tumultuous college career, he’s clinging to his dream of playing in the NFL.”

Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis is another possibility. Steelers Depot’s Melanie Friedlander reported on January 28 that the Steelers met with Travis at the East-West Shrine Bowl.

Pro Football Focus has Travis ranked as the No. 145 prospect in the 2024 NFL draft. Going in that spot would make Travis a fifth-round pick.

However, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor predicted the Steelers to target Travis at No. 84 overall on Day 2 in the third round.

The need for better quarterback play is so great for the Steelers, it would be understandable for Pittsburgh to take a flier on any of these signal callers. But none of them are likely to be 2024 competition for Pickett.