Pittsburgh Steelers biggest winners and losers from the 2022 NFL Draft

Steelers draft loser: Mason Rudolph

Unfortunately, on the flip side of that, Mason Rudolph is one of the biggest losers from the NFL Draft for the Steelers. While it was an expectation that the Steelers would draft a quarterback in round one, it doesn’t change that it hurts Rudolph’s stock. While he was supposed to enter the year competing for the starting job, that is now unlikely, as it appears the Trubisky and Pickett will be the ones battling for the starting quarterback position.

However, while Rudolph was already hurt by that selection, it was day three of the NFL Draft, that really hurt his stock. In the seventh round of the NFL Draft, the Steelers selected Chris Oladokun, a quarterback out of South Dakota State, in a surprise move. While many expected the team to select a quarterback in round one, it was a surprise to see them double-dip at the position and select another one in the seventh round.

Though it is possible that Oladokun gets placed on the practice squad, and Rudolph stays on as the third quarterback, that now seems highly unlikely. Rudolph will likely enter camp with the Steelers, and the team will likely look to find a trade partner before the end of the preseason. If they can’t find a partner, the team will most likely release him, as it makes more sense to keep a rookie on as the third-string quarterback because he will be cheaper, and the team clearly liked him enough to use a draft selection on him.

For Rudolph, with the addition of three quarterbacks to the roster this year, the best-case scenario is now to move on elsewhere, as he can latch on as a backup somewhere, rather than as a third-string quarterback for the Steelers. Obviously, if an injury arises, this could all change, but as of right now, Rudolph is the Steelers’ biggest loser from the draft, and likely won’t enter the regular season on the roster.