The Steelers have a first-round grade on Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, though that does not mean they’ll prioritize the position over other needs in next week’s draft.
Instead, Dulac writes, Pittsburgh will likely target a defensive lineman or even a running back with their first-round pick. Both positions have projected top-10 picks (Michigan’s Mason Graham, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty) who are not expected to fall to the Steelers with multiple second-tier talents that should be available at No. 21.
The team’s defensive line targets include Georgia’s Walter Nolen, Oregon’s Derrick Harmon, and Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, per Dulac. At running back, Pittsburgh could target North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton or Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson, though they may wait until Day 2 to pick from a deep class.
Pittsburgh used 17 of their top-30 pre-draft visits on defensive linemen and running backs, another indication that their first-round pick will target one of the two positions.
The Steelers’ top brass also did their homework on this year’s quarterback class. They have a first-round grade on Dart and “really like” Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, per Dulac, making both potential options with the 21st round pick if the talent at DL and RB thins out. The team also scouted a number of Day 2 quarterbacks via pro days and top-30 visits.
Ultimately, though, it’s hard to believe that the Steelers would pass up the opportunity to draft a potential franchise quarterback after cycling through a half-dozen starters since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. They may still sign Aaron Rodgers to start this year, but they have no long-term options on the roster and a clear desire to add one. It would be strange to have first-round grades on Dart and potentially Sanders but prioritize other positions when quarterback is such a dire need in 2025 and beyond.
No one is a franchise QB in this draft
Kinda hard to know that right now.
Let’s see. We’ve endured two seasons of broken down Ben, then Duck, Rudolph, Trubiskey, Pickett, Russ and Fields ever since. So your idea is to kick the can down the road until ‘26 when all there is—possibly—is Arch Manning, a kid they won’t get
Shedeur would be a great selection. I like Shough too. Dart reminds me of Pickett. Milroe reminds me of Josh Dobbs
I tend to think Dulac is wrong and his colleague Ray Fittipaldo is on target when he says there’s way too much chatter about QB’s in the draft and the Steelers to not think they have a plan for round 1
“Franchise” QB or not, get one of the top kids and hire a true QB coach
That’s just sad. Hire a true QB coach because neither Smith nor Tomlin can nurture one.
you don’t watch college football?…Drew Allar from Penn St is going to be a legit NFL QB…don’t sleep
Hahahaha. I watch too much college football. And I like Penn State as the only local school that does pretty well but unlike you, I’m not a homer. He reminds me of literally every PSU QB that’s come out over the past decade or so. Disagree
Allar has to grow a lot over the next year or he’ll be a late round, developmental pick. At this point, a QB like Avery Johnson would be a better draft choice.
Allar isn’t in this draft
Andrew, they’re talking about if Pittsburgh kicks the can to 2026.
I agree George…but they need a new coach..tomlin has worn out his welcome and he’s become stale
Ward is the closest thing
Last week it was “Tomlin likes Sanders”. They’re just making stuff up, so they’ll have something to print.
Pitt also had a 1st round grade on Pickett. Maybe they need new scouts.
Well grading and developing are two different things
I’m sure Kenny Pickett was a first round grade per scouts who watched him play college ball reviewed tape etc.
But I doubt the scouts are the guys developing coaching the players
Whoever the guys are that are responsible for developing QBs fire those guys. Dobbs actually looked decent leaving PIT. Failed on Pickett Rudolph Dobbs. Need new QB developers.
Why do I want to call bs on this? They keep spouting this rumor out like it has merit
Take a QB at 21. Sanders or Dart, if available. Give them heavy playing time in 2025 and if you don’t like what you see try again for a QB in 2026. No QB = no chance at a Super Bowl win. You have to keep trying until you get one that’s elite. This talk that Pickett didn’t work out so stop trying if the pick is in the 20’s is stupid. You have to keep trying until it works. Really good QB’s can be found outside the top 10. In 1989 Jimmy Johnson drafted Troy Aikman with the first pick in the 1989 draft and then took Steve Walsh with a 1st round pick in the supplemental draft that same year. He was not afraid of doubling down–knowing he needed an elite QB.
Agreed. Part of the Pickett pick was just being a feel good local story after he supposedly brought Pitt back to respectability. Literally no one had Pickett as a 1st rounder
That’s not the case here. There are 2 or 3 guys who can do pretty well with a couple of dangerous wideouts.
And in 1990 when Jimmy Johnson knew he didn’t need Steve Walsh he flipped him for a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round pick from the Saints.
Lol
What are laughing about? Your team is 0 for 4 in Super Bowls and hasn’t played in one since January of 1977. And your hopes and dreams are pinned on a QB who has had more knee surgeries as a Viking than games played in the NFL.
What, Viking fans aren’t allowed to find things amusing?
You’re a jerk, and wtf is a mustard tiger? Sounds like something a dumb guy would like
Hey. That was mean. If I had any feelings you would have hurt them.
@mustard You’re team is looking at many more years of mediocrity. Enjoy it.
prioritize a RB in round one over a QB you have a first round grade for? this is a crazy deep RB draft. why waste a 1st on anyone not named Jeanty?
I called this over 6-8 weeks ago that Jaxson Dart would be a first-round pick in this draft. He has the same profile as Bo Nix and in the right team / coaching staff could be a good one and Lane Kiffin understands the Pro Game. People said the same thing about some guy that played at Wyoming and said he would not amount to anything in the pro game and he has turned out okay…Josh Allen.
Don’t sleep on Jaxson Dart…he is going to be just fine.
A) They had a first round grade on Mason Rudolph, as well.
B) Trade back 6 to 10 slots or so, take the DT and then get a RB with the extra pick from the trade.
C) They can’t pull another Pickett.
Using your logic, why would they pick a QB in the first round ever again
Look, they screwed up. Royally. No other team we know of graded Pickett as above third round
They proceeded to draft him anyway
There is much more consensus about Ward and Sanders. Even Dart, which to me gets into “iffy” territory. I have liked Shough since I saw him in a few Louisville games. I think he’s the real deal but I’d be lying to say he’s a first rounder or a franchise variety. I mean, who knows such a thing about any of these kids?
But you’re right in the needing D-line help. And badly. This is gonna be interesting
Imagine being a grown man who hides under a bed, crawls out from under the bed just long enough to yell and then crawls back under the bed to hide some more…
Weird and sad.
I fully support trading back, but need to go more than 10 picks. Top of the second round for a 1st next year. If you aren’t in love with a guy at 21, get the extra ammo to make moves either this year or next (absent a 1st, multiple 2-3s this year)
“If you’re starving and somebody throw you a cracker you gonna be like this: goddamn that’s the best cracker I ever ate in my life!”
-Eddie Murphy
Cam goes to Tennessee that is a given then after that I see Giants going for either Carter with the 3rd pick, then it falls to Saints at 9 if they pass on a QB, I see Steelers maybe having to trade up a few picks to make sure they get a QB, I do believe it would not surprise me to see the Giants making a desperate splash in this draft to climb back into the first round up in the middle like say Arizona at 16 it would take a lot of picks like there 2nd and 3rd and a number one for next year. But I could see something crazy like that with the Giants owner wanting a QB and the coach and GM jobs on the line after this season. Desperate times equal desperate measures. but it all depends what the Saints do at the 9th pick.
Agreed. They’re the wild card and with the Carr situation, I’d almost bet they’ll lock in on Sanders
If Sanders makes it to 20 (Broncos pick right in front of the Steelers), I believe that either the Browns or the Giants will trade back into the 1st (with Denver’s pick) to nab Shedeur, leaving the Steelers back at the drawing board.
Ole Miss or Mississippi’s Walter Nolen!
Not from Georgia!
And I wouldn’t bet against Dart. I hope Rodgers mentors him for a year.
I see the Steelers acquiring Cousins for a 3rd round pick with a conditional the following year based on performance. Dart picked in the first if they don’t get any of the DL they like fall to them.