The Pittsburgh Steelers may not have their answer at quarterback after all.
In his April 14 column on Bleacher Report, David Kenyon said he didn’t expect Mitch Trubisky (or backup Mason Rudolph) to be the long-term option in Pittsburgh. Instead, it’s more likely that the Steelers would trade up from No. 20 to No. 12 or 13 in next week’s draft to select the successor to Ben Roethlisberger as the team’s next franchise quarterback.
“New Orleans — which also needs a QB — now possesses the 16th and 19th overall picks,” Kenyon wrote. “If the Steelers didn’t already suspect the Saints plan to draft a signal-caller, it certainly feels inevitable now. Pittsburgh should be a strong candidate to swing a deal with either the Minnesota Vikings (12th) or Houston Texans (13th).”
Steelers Have Unproven Options at Quarterback
Although Trubisky, who will be 28 when the 2022 season starts, was signed to a two-year, $14 million deal with the intention of his becoming the starter, he is an unproven commodity.
The No. 2 overall pick of the 2017 draft washed out after four seasons with the Chicago Bears and spent last year as Josh Allen’s backup on the Buffalo Bills. According to Pro Football Focus, Trubisky never ranked higher than 33rd among starting quarterbacks in offensive grade during his time as a starter with the Bears.
Rudolph, who will be 27 when the 2022 season starts, has never served as a full-time starter in this three seasons with the Steelers. In the one season in which he started an extended number of games — eight starts in 2019 — he was eventually benched for undrafted backup Devlin Hodges before the end of the season.
According to PFF, Rudolph posted a 53.5 offensive grade during the 2019 season. With the exception of Kyle Allen, Rudolph ranked as the NFL’s worst quarterback with at least 300 dropbacks.
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Why Steelers Could End Up Trading Up in Draft
The New Orleans Saints are in a similar situation to the Steelers. Their own franchise quarterback — Drew Brees — retired following the 2020 season, and they’re seeking a long-term option while veteran Jameis Winston fills a gap in the short term.
Like the Steelers, the Saints were a solid team that did not make it to the playoffs, going 9-8 while dealing with a quarterback carousel.
In Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports’ latest mock draft, published April 18, Malik Willis is projected to go at No. 9 to the Seattle Seahawks with Matt Corrall projected at No. 19 going to the Saints.
Among the top quarterbacks, that would leave Kenny Pickett as the Steelers’ best bet at the No. 20 selection, with slightly lower-graded prospects such as Desmond Ridder and Sam Howell as the next best options.
While Pickett may be a hometown kid — he played at the University of Pittsburgh — the Steelers may prefer a quarterback with a stronger arm.
If that ends up being the case, Pittsburgh could be better served by trading up to ensure that they don’t miss out on either Willis or Corral.
Steelers Quarterback ‘Unlikely’ to Remain Starter: B/R