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It's no secret that the Steelers eventually need a long-term replacement for the 39-year-old Ben Roethlisberger. With all things considered, 2021 will be the swan song for the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
The Steelers feel like they have a roster that can compete for a Super Bowl, so they're going to go all-in this year and help Roethlisberger out as much as possible. The first step in doing so is by getting a feature running back and reveamping the offensive line through the draft.
While it seems like the Steelers are hell-bent on pushing the need of a quarterback off to the 2022 NFL Draft, what if a quarterback like Trey Lance of North Dakota State falls in this year's draft? Would the Steelers trade up to get Lance? Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports thinks it would be a wise decision if they did so.
Wilson was on 93.7 The Fan yesterday and said that Lance could slip out of the top 10 and if the Steelers moved up to take him, it would be a "fantastic pick."
Lance was a one-year starter at North Dakota State and completed 66.9 of his passes for 2,789 yards and had a 28-0 touchdown-interception ratio, along with a 180.6 quarterback rating in 2019. This past season he played just one exhibition game as North Dakota's State's season was postponed to the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Being that Lance played at the FBS level and was a starter for only one year, there's a good chance that he could fall in the draft. Lance is an athletic quarterback, who has a really nice delivery. He's also exceptional off play-action. Lance, in my opinion, is a wild card in this year's draft when it comes to quarterbacks. It does seem like he's a boom or bust type of player, but if he gets with the right team and organization that can develop him, I think he can be a steal.
I don't know if the Steelers would be willing to trade up for Lance if he falls in the draft, but it would definitely be intriguing. I just think the Steelers are going to stick to their "win-now" motto and draft a running back in the first round to help out Roethlisberger.