4 reasons the Steelers shouldn’t draft a 1st round QB in 2021

Late first-round QB’s

Considering the Steelers are already set to be a playoff team, that means they will be given a pick past 20th overall in the draft. Assuming they don’t move up, which would be expensive, that means they would be forced to draft a quarterback with that pick. History shows what a mistake that could be, as the history of later first-round quarterbacks is not good. Since 2010, the following quarterbacks have been taken between picks 20-32: Tim Tebow, Brandon Weeden, Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel, Paxton Lynch, Lamar Jackson, and Jordan Love.

Of that list, the clear best option is Jackson, but even he is far from perfect as a prospect. While an elite athlete, he has had his struggles with throwing the ball. Beyond him, Bridgewater has found some success, but due to injuries and inconsistent play, he hasn’t become the franchise player for any team. Besides Love, who is still just a rookie that hasn’t played, the rest of the list is mediocre.

The fact of the matter is quarterbacks don’t fall in the draft unless they have some major issues. Jackson had issues with throwing the ball in college, and those issues are still present today. Likewise, the rest of the options on the list proved to be busts for their teams. Sure, each found some level of playing time, but they never developed into the franchise quarterback the teams envisioned when they drafted them.

Drafting quarterbacks, in general, is a risky proposition. They are the most important player on the field, and thus teams are willing to pay them top money and invest heavily in them in the draft. Unless you have a top ten pick, landing a franchise quarterback is a fifty-fifty shot. While this risk will be present in any year that they draft a quarterback, it will be considerably less if they have an earlier pick or can trade up for one.