Final ranking of the top six quarterbacks for the Steelers

North Carolina Tar Heels running back Ty Chandler (19) with quarterback Sam Howell (7). Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
North Carolina Tar Heels running back Ty Chandler (19) with quarterback Sam Howell (7). Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Steelers
Sam Howell #7 of the North Carolina Tar Heels. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

Steelers 2nd best fit

The top two names on this list just so happen to be the quarterbacks with the highest ceilings in this class but also the ones with the highest bust potentials. Names like Ridder and Pickett can come in and start sooner than later and should stick around in the league for a while even as only a backup. The top two names for the Steelers are boom-or-bust prospects, as either they will pan out into good players or they will likely be out of the league sooner than later.

The second-best fit is Sam Howell, as he has displayed some incredible tape while at North Carolina. His best trait is his deep ball, as he has a strong arm and incredible accuracy when targeting receivers deep. Add in his athleticism outside of the pocket and toughness and you have the baseline traits of a good quarterback.

Unfortunately, Howell struggles to progress through reads, and his mechanics as a passer are sloppy. Add in some forced passes and poor general accuracy and you have a quarterback that will need some significant bench time to hash out his issues. If he develops properly, there is little reason to believe he won’t be a decent starter in the league. That said, he will need quite a while before he can regularly be counted on to start.