It's clear that the Pittsburgh Steelers are busy on the scouting trail for a handful of prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft. Although they haven't looked too closely at UCLA's Nico Iamaleava as a potential target yet this season, that doesn't mean they might've gotten to him eventually, considering the massive number of quarterbacks they already scouted.
But any hope of investigating Iamaleava as a potential draft target just flew out the window after his latest injury.
According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, Iamaleava suffered a season-ending injury against the Oregon Ducks this past Saturday. It's a gut punch to the former highly touted recruit. Iamaleava has a lot of pedigree behind his name, but that hasn't led to a ton of success at the collegiate level. This latest injury update by Zenitz will only cloud the potential of Iamaleava at the 2027 NFL Draft.
Pittsburgh will be in need of a quarterback or two following this season. Both Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph are on expiring contracts, and Rodgers has been open about his plans to retire. The Steelers have Will Howard and Drew Allar under contract, but early indications from the team's scouting trail show heavy interest in the position.
One thing is now crystal clear: their top target won't turn be Iamaleava.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could be out on Nico Iamaleava in the 2027 NFL Draft after season-ending injury
No one expected Nico Iamaleava to have a Heisman-winning season for UCLA, but many thought he could show signs of growth as a player. He has a ton of starting experience despite only being 22 years old, which means he could have another level to unlock at the NFL level with proper coaching.
It's clear that Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy could see the potential that could be unlocked from Iamaleava.
With his latest news regarding this injury, who knows if the quarterback will actually enter the draft. He was envisioned as a mid-to-late-round pick going into the year, but that might've sunk further after his knee injury. It's entirely possible that Iamaleava could fight for another year of eligibility in the college ranks. Missing most of this season could see him rely on making another run in the NCAA.
Iamaleava started off his collegiate career at Tennessee, where he saw some of his best success as a quarterback. He only appeared in five games during his freshman campaign, but once he became the Volunteers' full-time starter in Year 2, things turned around. He produced 2,616 passing yards, 358 rushing yards, 22 total touchdowns, and only five interceptions.
Things only fell apart from there from Iamaleava when he decided to enter the transfer portal.
The quarterback thought he would receive a giant NIL check, but that failed to happen. Iamaleava spiraled downward from there, but there was hope that UCLA would turn things around this season. The Bruins are off to a solid start, but Nico wasn't doing anything mind-blowing to raise his draft image. He would be wise to fight to stay in college; otherwise, his draft stock could be in trouble.
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