With the NFL Combine about to start, here is a ranking of the top six rookie quarterbacks and their fit in the Steelers offense.
The NFL Combine is the next domino of the draft to fall, as teams get to meet with and watch prospects test their athletic chops in Indiana. With quarterback being such a vital need, this offseason and the Steelers already showing a lot of interest in the rookies at the Senior Bowl, the odds seem likely they will be all over this group at the combine.
Here is a pre-Combine ranking of the top six rookie quarterbacks for the Steelers:
Steelers 6th best QB fit
Matt Corral has been my least favorite of the top six quarterbacks in this class for some time, and in terms of what the Steelers want in their future franchise player, Corral isn’t it. The Ole Miss product was an insanely productive player in the SEC, but his actual traits as a player make it seem like he is more of a product of the scheme as opposed to supremely talented.
Corral is an athletic enough quarterback who excelled at running RPOs in college. He is smart and can read a defense well which leads to him usually making the correct read by either handing the ball off, throwing a pass, or running it himself.
Unfortunately, most pro teams won’t run the RPO as much as Ole Miss did, meaning that Corral would have to adapt to a different scheme. His arm strength isn’t great either, which would limit him as a franchise passer moving forward.
Add in the fact that he is small (6’1 and there is a real chance he weighs in under 200 pounds) and Corral seems like the worst fit for the Steelers. There are questions with him in cold weather, if his size can hold up, and if he can actually play in an NFL offense.
I see no reason Pittsburgh should be interested in him. He needs to go to a team focused on short passes and ready to aggressively run RPOs. That team isn’t the Steelers right now.
Steelers 5th best QB fit
I toyed where to put these next too, as I essentially have them ranked almost identically despite being vastly different quarterbacks. Ultimately, Desmond Ridder takes the second to last spot due to his inconsistencies against top competition and question marks about his throwing ability long-term. He will need an offense built around an elite running game to truly get the most out of him.
The positives of Ridder are numerous. He has the arm strength and accuracy to make most of the passes needed at a pro-level and he can take off and run in a pinch. That said, his processing and ball placement need a lot of work.
While throwing some errant passes can be looked over in the college game, he won’t be so lucky in the pros. Add in his disappointing playoff game against Alabama and may are questioning if he can actually start against an NFL defense.
What Ridder will need is time and an offense that doesn’t require great quarterback play to win. The Titans instantly come to mind as a potential fit, as Ridder could be a better version of Ryan Tannehill if all goes well. That said, it would be hard for the Steelers to draft and attempt to develop him. I think he can start eventually, but I don’t see his playstyle as a good fit in Pittsburgh.
Steelers 4th best QB fit
Without a doubt in my mind, Carson Strong is the best pure passer in this upcoming draft class. He makes good decisions, has an incredible arm, and can use his accuracy to drop a pass wherever it needs to be. Had he entered the league 10-15 years ago, he would have been a safe first-round choice and a potential top 15 pick at that.
His sole issue is unfortunately a big one, as his mobility isn’t good. While many overblow the need for a mobile quarterback, at a minimum you have to be able to move around in the pocket and run away from pressure. Strong has never been that great at doing that. Though the Steelers don’t need a quarterback that can scramble constantly, they need a player who can at least move around and escape pressure.
On top of this, Strong’s knees have come into question. It seems like his mobility is only going to get worse as his knees continue to regress. While his throwing ability will likely make him an early starter, I don’t see him lasting long in the NFL as his knees get worse.
Strong needs an elite line to keep pressure away (something the Steelers don’t have and won’t even with some investments there in the offseason). I like Strong as a passer, but the fact of the matter is he would be a poor short and long-term fit with the Steelers.
Steelers 3rd best QB fit
Kenny Pickett took the world by storm with his electric fifth season at quarterback for the Panthers. Never a great option before 2021, he exploded onto the scene and started consistently making big plays.
Pickett lunged to the top of a relatively weak quarterback class because of it. While there is a lot to love about his game (mainly his accuracy and the fact he has constantly grown as a player), he isn’t a great fit for the Steelers.
He is average to above-average across the board. He has an average arm, good accuracy, decision-making, and enough athleticism to move around the pocket and scramble if need be. That all said, he is lacking a truly elite trait. Because of that, I think he is close to, if not at, his ceiling as a player.
That would put him in the good, not great, conversation at quarterback akin to a lesser Kirk Cousins or a slightly better Teddy Bridgewater. While having a player like that is fine assuming you build a good team around him, they are never going to be the players to win you games. Given the fact the Steelers will almost certainly have to aggressively move up to get him, Pickett falls into the middle of the pack of quarterback options.
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.
Steelers best QB fit
While his name does cause a bit of division, Malik Willis is my quarterback one assuming he goes to the right team. He has everything you want in a franchise quarterback: the second-best arm in the draft, good accuracy when he has time to throw, and easily the best mobility in the class. His highs make him potentially the best quarterback in this class, but he has a lot of warts as a prospect.
Specifically, his decision-making and processing are far below what the NFL requires. He will regularly take one look and take off and run if his top option is covered. He also has a knack for missing targets when under pressure and forcing passes that shouldn’t be forced. Luckily, those issues can be worked out in time with good coaching, but the key is that he needs time before being a full-time starter.
While he has the biggest bust potential of a quarterback besides maybe Corral, if given the proper time he could be a top quarterback in the league. The Steelers took a prospect that needed to be developed 18 years ago and in time, it worked out pretty well. Willis would need a lot of work and time put in, but assuming the Steelers started a veteran and gave him a season or so to sit and develop, he is easily the best fit for this team.
The Steelers enter the 2022 offseason with a need for a franchise quarterback. Considering their heavy interest in the quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl, it seems likely that the team continues their research into the combine. As of now, before these players test, these are a ranking of the team’s best fits at quarterback.