The Steelers have made their interest in a quarterback clear this offseason, so here is one quarterback draft target per round of the 2022 draft.
The Steelers have poorly hidden that their intention this offseason is to draft a quarterback. Despite this being a weaker class overall, the top scouting and coaching names have been along the quarterback trail so far.
While they would like to land a top quarterback in the first round, they could look to add a more developmental guy if they can’t get who they want early. Here is a quarterback that the Steelers could take in every round of the draft to fill out their room.
Steelers round 7
If the Steelers are waiting until day three to fill their quarterback need, especially late day three, they aren’t targeting their future starter. Instead, someone that can come in can compete for the third arm on the roster would be the goal. A name that sticks out to me this late is Brock Purdy. While the former Iowa State quarterback lacks the desired traits in a starting quarterback, he has proven to be a gritty winner in the past.
Purdy is reminiscent of a Gardner Minshew-lite to me. Neither are exceptional in any way, but both are quality leaders that a team can rally around. That said, Purdy is a lesser quarterback than even Minshew, as his arm and overall athleticism are far worse than the current Eagles backup. That said, if the Steelers wanted to add some more competition to their quarterback room late, Purdy makes some sense.
Steelers round 6
A name that got attention for an unusual reason this offseason, EJ Perry wasn’t a dynamic player while at Brown. At the combine though, Perry was caught on the sideline cleaning up after some of the other players. No, that doesn’t make him a lock to be a good pro player, but it does point to some strong character traits that he may have as an offensive leader.
Perry and Purdy share a lot of similarities in their game. Both have average to below-average arms and mediocre mechanics as a passer. The reason Perry gets the nod a round higher though is his athleticism and willingness to push the ball down the field. He tested well at the combine and was a noted dual-threat runner while in college, something Purdy wasn’t.
In terms of aggressiveness, Perry can push the ball down the field despite not having an elite arm. That can be a double edges sword though, as it has led to a lot of turnovers in his college career. That said, Perry would once again be a fine addition to the backend of this quarterback room. The odds of him starting are low, but he could push for the number three spot if the team misses out on some of the top names.
Steelers round 4
The Steelers currently don’t have a pick in the fifth round, thus the reason that selection is getting skipped over. Next on the list is one of the more intriguing names in this class, Western Michigan quarterback Kaleb Eleby. While undersized and lacking the ideal traits for a quarterback, Eleby was one of the most productive names in this class. He needs a lot of work, but there is something that could be developed there.
Eleby excels in an RPO-heavy offense where he can make quick decisions with the ball and use his athleticism to make plays on the ground. He has a decent arm that can help stretch the field but don’t mistake him for some sort of a traditional gunslinger. His mechanics are a bit of a mess, but if he can reign in his passes better, there is a chance he could be an average passer in the league down the road.
Of all of the projected day three quarterbacks, Eleby has the best chance at becoming some sort of a starter. That said, he has quite a few limitations which will prevent him from ever being more than average. If the Steelers want to try and develop him though and they pass on the top names, Eleby makes the most sense on day three.
Steelers round 3
A name some people are higher on than others, Bailey Zappe is a smaller school quarterback that has a lot of good traits for a quarterback but is lacking in overall talent. He was one of the most prolific college quarterbacks during his time at Western Kentucky, but he lacks the ideal measurements and throwing ability to be much more than a fine backup.
Zappe is average in most major quarterback categories. He has an average arm, with average accuracy and average mechanics in the pocket. He can progress through some faster reads which allows him to be more composed in the pocket, but he will likely struggle to adjust to the pro game. On top of this, his offense was slanted towards the quarterback, so a traditional offense will be a new concept for Zappe.
The reason you see him a round higher than a name like Eleby is due to Zappe’s floor being much higher. While at the end of the day Zappe will likely be no more than a very average quarterback at best (and likely a backup at that), he doesn’t have the complete bust potential that any of the previous names have. That said, if the Steelers miss out on the top names in the first two rounds, don’t expect any of these quarterbacks to realistically be anything more than backups down the road.
Steelers round 2
This is where it gets more interesting. If the Steelers miss out on the first wave of quarterbacks in round one, a name that would make sense in the second round is Carson Strong. He seems pretty likely to be there in the second round due to his limitations, but he has some positive traits to his game as well.
For starters, Strong easily has the best arm in this draft and it isn’t close. While his arm strength is comparable to the top name on this list, his accuracy and ability to command a pocket are the best in the class. He can sit back and pick defenses apart while also attacking them deep with his arm strength. As a pure pocket passer, Strong is second to none in this class.
The issue is that pure pocket passers are a dying breed in the NFL as mobility has become a critical element of quarterback play. Strong is horribly immobile, and he has knee concerns on top of all of this. This really limits his upside in the league, and it also means he will need a nearly elite offensive line in front of him to be at all effective. That said, the Steelers quarterback coach worked him out at his pro day and if built around, his athleticism could be overlooked. That said, grabbing him would be in the second round and no earlier for the team.
Steelers round 1
Technically, you could pick your poison here of the other top five names in the class. The Steelers have been present heavily at each pro day and have shown interest in all of these names. That said, one name in particular sticks out as the team’s favorite. Like it or not, it seems like Malik Willis has quickly inserted himself as the Steelers preferred choice at quarterback.
Willis is a well-documented prospect at this point. There isn’t much of a middle ground for him, as it seems like he will either become a dynamic starter or will bust out of the league. He has all of the physical traits you want in an elite quarterback. His arm strength is impressive, his accuracy is fine when he has a clean pocket, and his mobility is insane. He looks like Josh Allen did while he was at Wyoming.
Unfortunately, Allen struggled heavily once he got to the pros, and Willis will need some extensive time to develop before he can be counted on to be a quality starter. With Mitchell Trubisky at the helm though, the Steelers could afford to give Willis at least a season on the bench. There are plenty of risks involved in this pick, but Willis seems to be the team’s preferred quarterback prospect.
The Steelers have made their desire to land a quarterback clear in this draft class. They have been involved at almost every major quarterback’s pro day and have talked with these prospects multiple times through the pre-draft process. Here is my best guess at one quarterback the team could try and target in every round of the draft.