Paxton Lynch will make the roster over Devlin Hodges
Many fans and experts are going into training camp with the expectation that the Steelers will have the same three quarterbacks on the roster that they did last year, but I wouldn’t be so quick to cement that in.
Though Devlin Hodges flashed at times for the Steelers as an undrafted rookie last season, there is nothing tying him to the team. Hodges has decent pocket mobility, but an overall limited skill set. His arm strength and velocity are both below average and his accuracy can be all over the place. Though he was more willing to throw the ball down the field than Mason Rudolph, that got him in a lot of trouble with poor decision making late in the season.
In addition, it’s not like the Steelers even spent a draft choice on Hodges, so parting ways with him shouldn’t hurt so bad. On the flip side, Paxton Lynch is a player who didn’t pan out with the Broncos or Seahawks. However, as a former first-round pick, the big quarterback clearly has more upside.
Though his ability to read defenses and go through progressions as been a big question mark, Lynch is a bigger, stronger, and more athletic passer than Hodges. If the Steelers are to keep a third quarterback on the roster (which they usually do when Ben is healthy), Lynch makes much more sense as the developmental prospect based on his superior skill set.