The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in desperate need of a long-term option at the quarterback position since Ben Roethlisberger hung up his cleats after the 2021 season. Four years later, there's still no answer in sight. Though landing veteran Aaron Rodgers seems to be the goal of the front office, we know the long-term replacement will have to come through the NFL Draft.
Sadly, the crop of talent at the quarterback position in the draft this year is underwhelming. Outside of Miami's Cam Ward, there shouldn't be another QB the Steelers should rush to draft when they are on the clock with the 21st overall pick.
But that might not stop them from making a massive reach pick.
On April 6, NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic reported that Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe had accepted his invite to the 2025 NFL Draft. This came as a surprise to millions of football fans who believed that the draft invites would be preserved for players the league views as first-round picks.
Sadly, that seems to be exactly what's happening here. Recently, Andy Staples of On3Sports talked about how the NFL will want to avoid another Will Levis fiasco at the draft.
"Now here's the thing about the first-round green room. The NFL does not want a Will Levis situation to happen ever again," Staples explained. "They do not want somebody who is at the green room to be falling asleep because they're not getting picked in the first round. And the suggestion here is that if [Jalen Milroe] has accepted this invitation, he feels confident he's getting picked in the first round, and the NFL is very confident one of its teams will pick him."
It makes sense. Levis' slip out of the first round was a bad look for the league, who invited the former Kentucky quarterback to the 2023 NFL Draft green room. Because Milroe has accepted his invitation, it likely means that multiple teams are interested in his services and could be planning to take him in the first round of the draft.
Meanwhile, the Steelers hold the 21st overall pick in the draft and have been linked to the Alabama prospect. But Pittsburgh should not be among the teams considering drafting Milroe in Round 1.
The Pittsburgh Steelers must avoid first-round swing on Alabama QB Jalen Milroe
As badly as the Steelers need to find a franchise quarterback, they can't afford to take a swing of this magnitude. As a passer, Jalen Milroe is light-years away from where he needs to be. Mike Tomlin likes to see players do 'routine things routinely', but that doesn't describe what we see on film from the polarizing quarterback.
Milroe's rushing ability is undeniable and unmatched. It's entirely possible that he could be a better rushing quarterback than Justin Fields at the next level. However, it's everything else about Milroe that scares me—from his small hands to accuracy issues and ball-security problems.
The consensus board would suggest that Milroe is closer to a third-round player than a first-round pick, and he should be treated as such. The last thing the Steelers want to do is reach for another QB three years after reaching on Kenny Pickett.
Milroe has the traits and potential to succeed at the next level, but the Pittsburgh Steelers should let somebody else take the gamble. They should take a quarterback later in the draft and continue their search for a legitimate franchise QB in 2026.