Ok, so before you send any hurtful emails or comments, just hear me out. No one is advocating for the Pittsburgh Steelers to draft a quarterback as of right now. But just follow along and you will see why the Steelers are in a perfect position to draft a quarterback in the first round in 2023, should the need arise.
Pittsburgh invested a first-round pick in 2022 in quarterback Kenny Pickett. Looking at the entire 2022 NFL draft in its entirety, it is safe to say Pittsburgh probably drafted him a little early but we acknowledge the team had no choice but to do it.
Another thing working in the Steelers favor is Pickett is on the field. Obviously, the plan was to let Pickett redshirt in 2022 and Mitch Trubisky was to be the bridge quarterback after the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. But thankfully, Trubisky was as advertised and because of that Pickett will get the rest of the starts this season, should he play well enough.
But even if Pickett does play well, the odds of the defense being enough to keep this team competitive are slim. So there’s a good chance Pittsburgh will be picking in the Top 10 even as the best-case scenario.
The other big plus about this scenario is that the 2023 quarterback draft class is shaping up to be very strong. Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Alabama’s Bryce Young are both elite prospects and will be high first-round picks. You mix in Florida’s Anthony Richardson, Kentucky’s Will Levis and Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke and there are easily five guys who could go in the top 20 picks. Quite a contrast from the 2021 draft class.
If over the course of the next 12 games, Pittsburgh doesn’t like what they see from Pickett, they will have options. That’s all we are saying. There has to be no panic in Pittsburgh if Pickett falls flat. No one is saying he will. Everyone wants to see Pickett have immeasurable success with the Steelers. Filling another need with that high pick would make much more sense and it would mean Pickett made great progress this season.
