3 thresholds Pittsburgh Steelers next franchise quarterback must meet

Arm to make all the NFL throws

I’ve heard fans say that a quarterback’s arm strength is an overrated trait. I don’t necessarily agree. While some quarterbacks with pinpoint accuracy and ball placement (e.g. Drew Brees)  can get away without a big NFL arm, this is a trait that I would only compromise on in the rarest of circumstances.

That isn’t to say that the next quarterback the Steelers draft needs to have a Josh Allen-level cannon attached to their throwing arm. Rather, the quarterback they do draft to replace Ben Roethlisberger must have an arm that is good enough to drive the ball down the field and the velocity to make all of the NFL throws.

Mason Rudolph would be my cutoff for this department. Though Rudolph has the power to make most NFL throws, he lacks the ideal velocity to drive the ball to the sideline or squeeze it in tight windows. Pittsburgh should look for a better arm than what they have in Rudolph.

I understand how difficult it can be to find a quarterback that meets all three of these thresholds, and there are typically only one or two of these players that come out each year. If the Steelers miss out on the top quarterback prospects, they may want to consider waiting to select their franchise quarterback when they can land a player who possesses these must-have traits.