Steelers draft: Predicting the top-5 quarterbacks on Pittsburgh’s radar

The Pittsburgh Steelers clearly have an interest in selecting a quarterback this April. Here’s my prediction of their top-five favorite QB options in the 2022 NFL Draft.

I know we would like to believe that the Steelers are playing chess while every other team is playing checkers. However, that’s simply not the case. When it comes to the NFL Draft, Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin make very little effort in hiding their interests.

This is why we knew a player like Najee Harris was high on their radar last year. Based on their visits, it was clear that he was in play with the 24th overall pick in 2021. The same can be said for nearly every player selected in the first round since Tomlin has taken over as head coach.

Early in the pre-draft process, the Steelers have their sights set on the quarterback position, and they seem likely to go this direction in 2022. I have taken a stab to predict the order of the top-five quarterbacks on their NFL Draft radar this April:

5. Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati

Desmond Ridder checks a lot of boxes the Steelers typically look for at the position. He meets their usual threshold for height, he was productive, and he has the desired athletic traits Mike Tomlin could be looking for.

Despite all of this, my early guess is that four other QB prospects will be higher on Pittsburgh’s radar this year. Ridder improved each year at Cincinnati, but his arm talent is very modest and he was more of a game-manager for the Bearcats than anything else.

Pittsburgh did have a reported visit with Ridder at the Senior Bowl, but so did every other top quarterback candidate, and from what I understand, there didn’t seem to be as much time spent with Ridder during Senior Bowl as some of the other passers on hand.

I can’t cross off Ridder as a prospect Pittsburgh won’t consider, but my guess is that he’s further down the list.