Ranking the 6 best rookie QBs for Steelers before the NFL Combine
By Andrew Falce
Steelers 2nd best QB fit
Like Ridder and Strong beforehand, I toyed with who to put at one and two, as either of these names could be considered here. Ultimately, Sam Howell takes the second-place spot here for one reason that will be explained with our top fit. That said, there is plenty of reason to believe that the Steelers will be all over Howell and may try and draft him.
Howell was arguably the top name entering the class last year, but due to essentially his entire offense leaving him in 2020, his passing stats regressed. He was still an efficient thrower and found a lot of success on the ground though, and his strong traits were still present. Howell throws a decent deep ball and has good accuracy. His issues seem to stem from trying to do too much at times and properly progressing through reads.
His comparison to a slightly better Baker Mayfield hold-up, as both are a little bit smaller but have the arm talent to make any pass needed. While Howell would be a good fit for what the team wants, he isn’t the best fit, unfortunately. His ceiling isn’t as high as the top name on this list, but he has all of the makings of a capable starter in this league.