Here are the four reasons that the Steelers shouldn’t draft a quarterback in the first round of the 2021 draft
The Steelers have struggled in recent weeks on offense, and much of that blame falls on the struggles of Ben Roethlisberger. While the team is lacking options right now at quarterback, many fans have begun clamoring for the Steelers to draft a quarterback early in 2021. While that could certainly be on the board, especially if Roethlisberger decides to leave the team next offseason, there are plenty of issues in drafting a quarterback early next year.
Here are four reasons that the Steelers shouldn’t draft a quarterback in the first round next year.
Rudolph is still there
This is going to irk a lot of people, but the Steelers have a former third-round pick in Mason Rudolph set to enter the final year of his rookie deal next year. Assuming Roethlisberger is off the roster, he will be the odds-on favorite to start due to his experience in the system. Considering the Steelers will be picking in the latter half of the draft, a rookie quarterback wouldn’t be a slam dunk to start. The Steelers will likely roll with the veteran for the beginning of the season.
While the team did see Rudolph play extensively in 2019, they never really let him be a true starter. Instead, the offense tried to hide Rudolph and rely on the run, even when it began to struggle. Was Rudolph impressive? Far from it, but the system he was in did little to help him. With a strong defense still there and some talent on the offense, the Steelers would likely opt to play Rudolph over a rookie at least at the beginning of the season.
The best-case scenario is that Rudolph looks better than his 2019 tape and shows potential as a franchise quarterback. The Steelers could franchise tag him and work on getting him a new deal. The worst-case scenario is he isn’t good, the Steelers secure a much higher pick in the following draft, and they grab their successor then. It isn’t ideal, but given the team right now, it seems likely that Rudolph would be given the nod over anyone else.
Extra resources in 2022
One of the primary issues with taking a quarterback in the draft this year is where the Steelers will be drafting from. Given that they are a playoff team, they will have a pick somewhere between 20-32 overall. If there is a quarterback prospect the team likes, one of the best things the team could do is trade up to secure him.
The issue is the team doesn’t have a lot of extra resources in 2020. While they are scheduled to receive a fourth and sixth-round compensatory pick this year, it should pale in comparison to the ones they will have next year. Considering the plethora of high-end free agents the Steelers will lose next year, it is possible that the team gets two third-round picks and a few additional fourth or fifth-round picks.
This means that the team will be flush with additional picks that they could use to trade up in the next draft. As well, as stated above, the team could have a lower overall draft pick in that draft, making it less expensive to move up for a quarterback. To move up from the mid-’20s to the early teens would be pricy. The Steelers will have better resources and likely a higher pick to move around in the 2022 draft.
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.
The offense isn’t ready for a rookie
This is probably the biggest reason the Steelers should shy away from a first-round quarterback next offseason. While this offense has a decent group of receivers, there are still quite a few questions elsewhere on offense. The line is aging and is set to lose some key pieces during free agency. The team is utterly void of a running game, and the tight ends are horribly inefficient. This offense has holes, and it can make life for a rookie quarterback far harder.
Take Joe Burrow this year. While his play looked solid, he was hindered by a bad supporting cast on offense. He made his receivers look good, but the lack of a running game severely inhibited his game. Worse yet, their offensive line looked like a turnstile, and the constant abuse he took eventually ended his season. Now, the team is just hoping there isn’t any long-term ramifications from the gruesome injury he suffered.
If the Steelers invest their top pick in a quarterback, he will be entering an offense that still has a lot of holes on it. Instead, the team could use the 2020 draft to shore up the running game, the line, and maybe even find a new tight end for a rookie quarterback to use in 2022. While an offense will never be without holes, adding as much talent this season so they can develop before the rookie enters the fold is a must.
All of this isn’t to say that the Steelers are set at quarterback. They aren’t, but the team has bigger issues than settling for a later first-round quarterback in the draft. The team could settle for a season with Rudolph, take the higher pick, and find their new quarterback in 2022. Meanwhile, the Steelers could use this draft to give that future rookie the best supporting cast they can. Unless an unexpected talent falls to the team in the first this year, the team should look to build the overall roster before adding their future quarterback.