The Steelers will be looking for a new quarterback in the 2022 offseason, and here are three players the team could select outside of the first round.
Finding and drafting a quarterback is always the best bet for building a successful team. Unfortunately, this year’s quarterback class is weird. The top options aren’t great but there are some middling options that should be intriguing for teams.
The Steelers may opt to target a quarterback outside of the first round to develop behind a veteran for a season before allowing them to take over. Here are three quarterbacks the Steelers could target outside of the first round of the draft.
Steelers could target McKee
A name that is all potential is Stanford’s Tanner McKee. Only a redshirt sophomore, the Steelers would be drafting McKee based on his measurables, his fit in a pro-style offense, and the upside he has flashed but hasn’t completely reached yet. McKee has found some success while at Stanford, but he is far from a finished product.
He would need at least his first season to develop, and there is a real chance he needs his first two before seeing the field. McKee is that raw and unknown as a prospect. If he can put it all together though, he could be a quality starting quarterback. He has the arm strength needed and can move around in the pocket despite not being an elite athlete. He needs a lot of work but taking a flyer on him in the third or fourth round would be well worth it.
Steelers could target Purdy
Of the three on this list, Brock Purdy easily has the least amount of potential in terms of being a true franchise quarterback. That said, he has put up four strong years while at Iowa State and he has a knack for making the big play. He has greatly benefited from playing at the collegiate level and he will need some development as a professional. That said, he could be a spot starter and a transitional quarterback for a few seasons if all goes right.
His negatives are numerous, as he struggles to complete passes on the sidelines and his pocket presence isn’t great. He isn’t an amazing athlete, but he is constantly scanning the field and can make plays on the ground when needed. He has this grittiness about his play that makes him easy to root for.
His play is reminiscent of Gardner Minshew in a way. Neither have great arms nor are exceptional athletes, but both find ways to extend the play and make big plays down the field. The best aspect about Purdy is that he will come extremely cheap as a draft investment. He won’t go until day three, and likely late day three at that. While he wouldn’t be a great long-term option, he could be a decent transitional quarterback for a few seasons.
Steelers could target Strong
A name that has seemingly fallen down draft boards has been Nevada’s Carson Strong. While putting up gaudy numbers helped his case initially, questions about his athletics have caused many to wonder just how successful he will be as a professional. Strong easily has the best arm in the class, as he can make any pass down the field needed. As well, he can properly read through progressions and make the correct decision when throwing the ball.
Where he struggles is his mobility, and more specifically his lack of it. He is no threat to take off and scramble and his mobility in the pocket is bad. Worse yet, his technique as a passer can sometimes overly rely on clean pockets to make the pass. He won’t have that at the NFL level and his lack of mobility will likely get him into some trouble when facing the top athletes along the line.
All of this said, if the Steelers build their offense around Strong’s strengths and limit his weaknesses, he has the potential to be the best pure passer from this draft class. The team would need to have a good offensive line and a strong running back to run a very traditional offense.
The team is halfway there and developing a line featuring a key free-agent addition and a draft pick could set him up for success in 2023. His lack of mobility is hard to get past (which is why he will likely fall to the second round), but he can be extremely potent if the offense is designed correctly around him.
The Steelers will be on the hunt for their next franchise quarterback in 2022. While taking a quarterback outside of the first round is risky, the upcoming draft class has some intriguing names to potentially target. These three names will likely fall out of the first round and each has the potential to be a starter for the Steelers at some point.