Steelers mock draft: 5 first-round targets for Pittsburgh

Steelers could Target QB Sam Howell

While I would like to believe that Ole Miss QB Matt Corral is a player the Steelers are going to be targeting next April, I think Sam Howell is more likely for a number of reasons. For starters, Corral is having a terrific season in the SEC and could end up being the top quarterback selected next year — launching him far out of Pittsburgh’s range.

I also don’t know how Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin feel about 200-pound quarterbacks, and they seem more likely to scout and take players from the ACC than the SEC if history is any indication. In addition, Colbert has been hanging around UNC head coach Mike Brown this offseason — likely to scout Sam Howell.

While shorter than ideal for Pittsburgh’s typical thresholds, Howell is thick and muscular with a cannon for an arm. He can push the ball down the field and through the wind as well as anyone in this class. Howell is also a former high recruit and has an excellent college pedigree.

If the Steelers don’t find outside help with a free-agent quarterback next offseason (which seems like a likely option) it’s possible that Howell falls to Pittsburgh in the 2022 NFL Draft without a trade-up, and he could be the guy they go with to lead this franchise.