4 teams that could foil Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Draft plans in 2022

Washington Commanders: 11th overall pick

The competition for the quarterbacks will ultimately get decided with this selection. As it stands, nearly 50% of the mock drafts have the Washington Football Team selecting a quarterback. That trend will not likely change before the draft.

The top three, for now, are Matt Corral, Kenny Pickett, and Malik Willis. It’s always possible they could throw a curveball and opt for one of the others though unlikely. Only Corral and Pickett are sure-fire first-rounders. Willis is borderline; however, projections have him going first-round about  64% of the time.

After Willis, Howell only goes in the first-round 50%, Strong is at 25%, and Ridder is in last at 21%. While many lower-end quarterbacks could have their draft stock go up based on their pro day or combine results, it’s still highly improbable that Strong, Howell, or Ridder get taken by Washington. However, if Corral and Pickett go Carolina and Denver, it means Howell could get more consideration, although they could just as easily take Willis.

What this means for the Steelers:

If the Steelers opt to use the draft for their quarterback needs, they will lose out on drafting Corral or Pickett with the number eleven selection. If Pickett and Corral are off the board by the 11th selection and Washington is forced to pick Willis, the Steelers get left with Ridder and Strong, marginal first-round talent at best, or Howell, although right now mock drafts have Howell falling to the Steelers at the 20th pick 14% of the time.

Then they could take the best player available, which is most likely an offensive lineman; however other potential contenders at the 20th selection are Jordan Davis DL, Drake Jackson edge, Travon Walker edge, and Jameson Williams WR. However, most of those are outliers at the 20th selection.

If the Steelers are not planning for a quarterback, this following selection has much bearing on whom they select.