5 early first-round draft targets for Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022

Steelers could target Sam Howell

For some reason or another, fans have turned sour at the thought of drafting North Carolina QB Sam Howell. While he certainly took a step back during the 2021 season, Howell still has a ton of tools to work with at the quarterback position and he will be just 21 years old to start his rookie year.

There was a rumor during the 2021 season that the Steelers would prefer Howell over Pickett due to his skill set. While we obviously can’t confirm that there is truth to this, it’s not a stretch to believe that Mike Tomlin and the front office might feel this way.

The Steelers have really valued traits in recent years, and they almost exclusively target great athletes in the first round since busting on Jarvis Jones in 2013. Howell needs a lot more refinement to his game, and like Malik Willis, he would really benefit to be able to sit and learn from a year before being thrown to the wolves.

Still, Howell is a true junior coming out and the Steelers have to be impressed with the fact that he graduated college early so that he could play at the Senior Bowl. With the exception of his height, Howell checks nearly every other box Pittsburgh looks for at the QB position.

There are sure to be some other strong candidates that emerge among this group, but these five players should all be high on Pittsburgh’s radar during the 2022 NFL Draft.