It may be unlikely, yes. But, the Steelers would be smart to swap a package of picks to get Ohio State’s prolific talent.
Earlier this week, a clip that made its way around social media caught the attention of Steelers fans focused on the team’s future. Mike Tomlin’s Pro Day dialogue with Ohio State’s Justin Fields in the video provides Pittsburgh faithful with hope that the team will move up in this year’s draft order to grab a quarterback.
If the San Francisco 49ers do indeed pass on Fields, surrendering a bundle of early-round draft choices would be a reasonable price to pay if it meant landing a franchise passer.
The front office needs only to point at the restraints that were Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges in Ben Roethlisberger’s absence in 2019 for validation. Certainly, it can be argued that there are more glaring holes to fill, but Pittsburgh needs to face its succession question eventually.
In a Steeler uniform, Justin Fields would be the best dual-threat behind center since Kordell Stewart.
For a franchise that finished last in the league in rushing yards and yards per carry last fall—not to mention its middling offensive line—a mobile quarterback would do some good. Fields sprinted his 40-yard dash faster than anyone else at his position this spring. He also wheeled for 383 yards last season, more than all but two Big Ten signal-callers.
Of quarterbacks with at least 40 tosses last season, Roethlisberger ranked 41st in intended air yards per pass attempt with 6.9. Fields not only has the arm strength to let loose, as seen in his eye-popping performance in the Sugar Bowl, but he was also the most accurate in passes of at least 20 yards last season.
Fields isn’t soft, either. Even after absorbing a bone-jarring hit in the College Football Playoff semifinal, he posted an otherworldly stat line—22-of-28, 385 yards, and six touchdowns—against a top-ten Power Five defense in Clemson.
Some may contest mortgaging the team’s future, but, as of late, middle-round selections Kevin Dotson, Diontae Johnson, and Cameron Sutton have proven that Kevin Colbert and Tomlin choose well later in the draft.
Combine that with the fact that the Steelers have the second-highest projected cap space for next offseason, it makes more sense to give the going rate and grab the Ohio State product.
Even with the Steelers’ plan on making a postseason push this year, trading up to pick Fields is logical. Mid-round, project passers such as Mason Rudolph and the recently-resigned Joshua Dobbs just aren’t going to cut it as Roethlisberger’s heir.
If Tomlin’s team does pile up enough victories to compete in January, it’s only going to find itself in a similar position at this time next year. And—say Roethlisberger can no longer get the offense rolling—why should Pittsburgh punt on the season, especially with this defense?
It’s only a matter of time before the Steelers’ complacency in getting ahold of Big Ben’s replacement catches up with them. Fields is an exceptional talent with a winning pedigree. He would also be an indisputable answer.