Of the many interesting quotes that Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert provided during the team’s press availability Monday afternoon was the suggestion that Pittsburgh is open to the idea of drafting a quarterback.
Colbert did note, however, that the Steelers are extremely unlikely to move up in the first round of the draft, meaning options such as Justin Fields, Trey Lance, and Mac Jones will probably all be off the board by the time the Steelers make their pick at 24. So, could Pittsburgh make a move for a quarterback in the middle rounds?
After re-signing Ben Roethlisberger for at least one more season and bringing along Dwayne Haskins as a project QB, it seems counterintuitive to invest an important draft pick in a player that *might* be the backup in year one. This is especially true if the Steelers are intent on capitalizing on Roethlisberger’s final season, along with a seemingly closing window on defensive players like Joe Haden, Cam Heyward, and Stephon Tuitt.
If the Steelers still truly want to win in 2021-2022, resources would be better spent elsewhere, such as an upgrade on the offensive line or defensive backfield.
Still, should the Steelers opt to address the quarterback position, I would peg Kyle Trask and Kellen Mond as potential Day 2 fits.
Trask has long been compared to Roethlisberger as a big-body quarterback with a good arm. Trask is listed at 6 ft 5 in and 240 lbs, which is the exact same height and weight the Steelers list for Roethlisberger. There are concerns about Trask’s overall athleticism and ceiling, but it’s not hard to see the comparison, especially after a season in which he finished 4th in Heisman voting.
Mond is listed at 6 ft 3 in and 217 lbs and offers a more raw and athletic prospect. Whether Mond can be consistently accurate enough to play QB in the NFL is in question, but he was the Senior Bowl MVP and had 44 career college starts. Many draft experts see Mond as the most intriguing mid-round quarterback in this year’s draft.
Only time will tell if Pittsburgh will select a quarterback this weekend, but if they do Trask and Mond should be two names for Steelers fans to keep an eye on.
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