What are we doing?

Why are we looking for a middling QB (Dart or Shough), when we have not shown the aptitude to develop QB’s under Tomlin? I would prefer we ride with Rudolph and bring in Rodgers or Flacco if not Rodgers. Then go after a top tier QB in next years draft who has the talent to overcome our coaching inadequacies.

Why are we looking at Safety and WR early round prospects, when we have glaring holes at DT, Slot CB, RB, and still OT and OG?

To me its like they are actually trusting Broderick Jones more than they are Minkah based off of their offseason moves so far. Unless they want to transition from heavy spending on the defense, it makes no sense to be looking at a Safety that high. If our defensive woes on the back end were communication issues, I am not so sure adding a rookie safety to the mix is going to help in that area.

Are we going to draft Kenneth Grant if he is there at 21? I sure would love a big NT type that can play some 3 tech as well and all three downs and that is what you have in Grant. I have been screaming for bigger DT’s upfront for years.

It doesn’t make sense to trade Pickens this year if you are going all in this year with Aaron Rodgers. In addition we should get a third round comp if we let him walk next year. Makes absolute no sense in trading for a third this year it just moves it up a year and you put the wr position basically right back where it was before you traded for DK Metcalf. It makes signally more sense if you can get a 2nd rounder for him this year but again I don’t see anyone that will be available in the second round that would be close to the talent level that Pickens currently is.

I like Golden but he would have to be drafted in the first if we were even lucky for him to fall to pick 21. I like Emecka but he primarily played slot in college. Do we really need to add another slot to our receiving room?

I still think we need to address OT and OG at minimum with depth and developmental pieces. We need a faster rb that can run wide zone and fit our offense. We need to finally solidify the slot cb position. I think we need at least two DT’s, a NT and a guy to replace Heyward.

 

Hmmm.... lots to unpack


Draft Sanders at QB

We have Benton and Lee on DL now. Fixed!


OL will play perfectly for the next decade


Maybe Jahdae Barron will make it to 21


Don't need a NT at 21

 

I thought Tom Arth and Arthur Smith did a good job with getting Fields ready to play with the injury to Wilson.

I am not ready to say that this current coaching staff of Arth and Arthur can't develop a young QB.

 

Answers for each question from yours truly are as follows;


1.) Cheaper backup option. Again, I don't see the team spending anything higher than a 5th on a QB this upcoming draft. 2026 is where the team will have to make a run given the comp. picks the team is loading on. Don't expect Arch to declare though for it is very unlikely.


2.) Beyond Minkah Fitzpatrick, who else is on the Steelers that is a proven commodity at Safety?! Deshon Elliot and Juan Thornhill have expiring contracts for 2026; both being place holders doubly so and no less. I too am not advocating for Safety but Nick Emmanwori's athleticism and potential are simply too difficult to ignore.


3.) This is a prove it season for both; more so for Broderick than Minkah. Minkah has to have a bounce back for certain but Broderick MUST show some form of improvement. Otherwise, Broderick Jones will mark the 5th straight season in which the Steelers have not picked up the fifth year option for their First Round Draft picks that the team originally drafted. Never mind that, Offensive Tackle would become just as high a priority as Quarterback come 2026.


4.) Excellent question!!! I have been asking that since the start of the Pro Day/Pre Draft Visits. The only major takeaway I can come up with for Kenneth Grant is that the Steelers must have been made aware of Kenneth Grant in the same vein that the team was made aware of Broderick in 2022 prior to drafting him the next season. However, Pittsburgh sent the house to Georgia's Pro Day and even brought in Broderick for a Pre Draft Visit. Aaron Rodgers didn't make things easy at all but Teryl Austin was at Michigan's Pro Day. In addition, Pittsburgh sent literally everyone at Michigan's Pro Day in 2024... so there is reason to assume that Kenneth Grant was likely brought up by both Coaches and Teammates. That said, Kenneth still doesn't have a Pre Draft Visit; something that is a staple under Omar Khan. Broderick Jones was his first; Troy Fautanu soon thereafter.


5.) The fact that the Steelers brought in Matthew Golden tells me that, in the event the board doesn't break their way, Golden will likely be an option if he is there. Should that be the case, I'd suspect that Pickens is still kept but only for this season. Much like how the Seahawks drafted Jaxson Smith-Njigba even though D.K. and Tyler Lockett were available, Pittsburgh may take a page out of Seattle's Playbook and do the same.


6.) Neither Matthew Golden nor Emeka are purely slot only options. Both can operate outside the numbers. However, both have to work on beating press coverage consistently for that to happen. Doesn't mean they are unable to.


7.) Agreed. This actually, is the most baffling among all the Pre Draft Visits. Even players like Xaiver Truss not being accounted for is odd given how the Steelers value positional flexibility on the Offensive Line more than many other NFL Teams.

 

I haven't even given this any thought of any kind ever for two reasons.


1.) Who is worth developing on the Steelers Roster right now.

and

2.) Mike Tomlins risk adverse behavior to utilize an area of the field that Arthur Smith's Offense heavily predicates its passing attack on.

 

Well, it really just depends on who we like. If we really think Dart/Shough/any other QB can be our guy for the next decade and a half.. pull the trigger. If not, then next year's class looks ok (though still hard to tell at this stage). Idk. I think we've done a good job to not NEED a QB with Mason and whichever vet signs, but we can if we want.

Well we have a pretty big hole at safety too tbh. Elliott is under contract for just this season and Fitz has sucked so hard that he is another bad season away from getting cut. I don't think safety is our #1 option, but we have to think about it.

I would agree with this. Broderick needs to up his game, but its not like Moore was any good. We're replacing the OT that gave up the most sacks in the NFL (who proceeded to cash tf out in FA somehow)... Broderick doesn't have to be all that good to be an improvement. I'd prefer he becomes one, but the bar is low over there.

Doesn't look like it. Not much interest in the top DL it seems. I like Grant well enough, but it really seems our eyes are on other positions

Agree with this. Zero reason to trade Pickens at this juncture. He has a really good opportunity to keep his nose clean a bit, play well, and cash out. I'd be willing to lock him up long term (especially if we are going QB in 2026 early), we can afford to spend at WR if we aren't at QB. The timing would be perfect too as we would set DK and Pickens last year's a year apart right at the end of our 1st round QB's 5th yr option.

Its really up in the air as to which WR's go where. Its all preference as I don't think there is one stand out option. Golden is more raw but an outside guy. Egbuka profiles inside and out like Amon-Ra St. Brown... We currently have zero slot options right now (Austin is an outside WR and we know NOTHING about Wilson). I think a high end slot that can split out wide as the #2 would be a good piece if we are planning on getting rid of Pickens

This will happen. We will probably take an OL day 3. If not, we will sign someone. As for the RB, I agree to an extent, but I think its too much of a luxury for us right now. Unless we are truly selling out to go full offense with a 2026 first round QB, I can't see us going RB. Personally Jeanty or Henderson would be BADASS in a Steeler jersey, but its highly unlikely. We will eventually need DL, but we can't do it all in one offseason. This draft and next (along with the 2026 FA period) are just absolutely massive for us. If we knock it out of the park, we can be contenders again fairly soon. If we blow it, we are probably going to be a bottom 12 team for a few years. Turnarounds can come quickly (see Houston and Washington), we just have to handle good business decisions.

 

as i said in another thread, draft that QB this year and draft jeramiah smith next year as the GP replacement. give these QB's a fighting chance with great receivers. it will up any QB's game. smith is a freak. mason i believe will make a good guy for rookie's to learn from. even he will benefit from a first class receiving group.

 

I'm pretty sure we pointed out that Smith can't be eligible for the draft until 2027. He has to play 2 more years in college.

 

If Fields felt the same way you did, I think he would have stayed. Part of the issue is Tomlins conservative style clouds the issue as he doesn’t let anyone throw over the middle and has them so petrified of turning the ball over no Qb can play to their best ability with that hanging over their head.

 

Thats the beauty of Grant. He can play 3 tech due to his athletic ability. We need bigger bodies up front on the defensive line.... see Ravens playoff game.

 

You make alot of good points but if we are in win now mode this year then why trade Pickens and why draft Safety over Tackle? That is my man point in all of this. I know Minkah has had a couple of down years but I believe it is more indicative of the defensive system and the way they used him than it is Minkahs talents. Broederick Jones is a massive issue to me. Moving him to left tackle could even make matters worse. Because failing to protect the QB’s blindside could result in injury and more turnovers. The only reason I see them prioritizing safety over tackle this year is if they want a hybrid safety that can play slot or move move Minkah to slot and play the rookie safety back deep. I know they really like the three safety look and I think them signing Juan as a third safety was also to enable the movement of Minkah up to slot more.

Also drafting a middling QB this year when the draft next year has better options and we will be positioned to move up next year seems like a wasted pick this year to me.

 

Well we had Fields. But at this current time both points are valid especially your second point. But I would rather them fill out the roster this year and draft a QB next year where it is supposedly a deeper pool to draft from and we have more draft capital to move up and get a better pedigree Qb next year.

 

My concern with us drafting a QB is we are like the desperate teenager looking for a date before the Prom and all the desirable girls are taken already. When your desperate you can convince yourself of a million reasons why a girl who may not typically meet your standards all of the sudden has all of these wonderful attributes to justify you picking her. I believe thats what we did when we overdraft Kenny Pickett and I believe we can certainly do that same thing now with Dart or Shough or whatever his name is.

 

The point is the QB’s aren’t that good this year. We aren’t a SF or a Minnesota who can take an average QB and put him in our system and he plays like a Pro Bowler. We need to draft high pedigree players at the position. There is only one this year. AN ugly girl can get a spray tan, die her hair blond and put blue contacts in that still won’t make her look like Pamela Anderson.

 

You're going into the draft with the assumption that these guys are bad. I don't know if that is the case or not... The "experts" are wrong plenty (and based off the sheer volume of draft misses at the QB position in the top half of the first round, so are the teams). We at the very least put ourselves in a spot where we don't HAVE to draft a QB. If we want to, that is fine with me.

 

so we should fail a few years just so we can wait on that 7th grade girl to get to high school because we think she will be the prettiest girl in the school by then. good plan while we waste the rest of the girls already in HS because they are not perfect in every way.

 

When you don't have a franchise QB you keep drafting one until you find him, take one in the mid rounds this year then draft one in the first round next year.

 

Well we can only go by what the supposed experts are saying. They said Kenny Pickett was a reach when we drafted him and that proved to be right.

 

No i’m saying role with the game manager or aging veteran and build your team up in the mean time. Nobody said anything about failing. So basically work on yourself ... lift weights, develop your confidence, etc. so when that girl you really want comes along you are in the best position to attract her. Right now the Steelers are like the 120lb Junior who dreams of dating the Prom Queen but wouldn’t know how to keep her if she had the sympathy to go out with him. Thats why we're getting washed up Cougars at QB because we aren’t that desirable of a partner right now until we build out the rest of the roster and get some competent coaches in pace to truly attract the top QB’s. Of course the draft is more like a forced marriage thing and even at that we suck at picking QB’s.

All joking aside I am intrigued with Shaduer Sanders. He may not have elite athletes or arm talent but he ie supposedly a great processor and accurate. I happen to believe those are by the far two most important traits for a QB. The only issue with him is you need a good offensive line because he isn’t great at extending plays. Thats why I keep on saying get the offensive line fixed. We keep messing around with the offensive line, how many years has it been? Its redicuols that we still have the same offensive line coach. It makes no sense. After last year and Jones regressing we should have made a change at the line coach. Now were gonna have another year of regression with Jones and we will end up having to redraft for that position next year.

 

I am not a fan of just drafting QB’s every year just for the sake of drafting a QB until we hit on one. We don’t have the offensive system or the coaches that would even allow a middling QB to develop and thrive like a SF or Minnesota or LA Rams. To me its fools gold. Build out the rest of the team and then stockpile draft picks and move up in the draft in the next few years to target the guy you really want.

 

How about we give the coaches some time and see what they can do, the QB coach and OC were in their first year and Fields did show some improvement from his Chicago days.

 

Thats all we have been doing is giving the coaches some time. We are the most patient organization in all of professional sports. Its very obvious to me we aren’t getting authentic Arthur Smith as the QB’s under him have played eerily similar to the ones that were here before them and Arthur Smith. What’s the common denominator - Tomlin. Tomlin is very conservative with Qb’s because he is beholden to three things - win the turnover war, keep the game close and let your defense win the game. The problem is he micro manages the defense to the extent it woefully plays under its talent level. Good offenses and good offensive minded coaches have been having their way with our defense for years now both in the run game and the passing game.

We can have an A+ draft and mark my words we will still have a middling offensive line at best, a defense that platues midseason only to go in the tank both in defending the run and the pass by late season and a underwhelming frustrating offensive passing and running game all resulting in one or two games over 500 with a one and done in the playoffs if we are even lucky. This defense has been like this ever since Lebeau left and the offense has been like this ever since Ben’s second to last year. Lebeau and Ben covered up alot of Tomlins warts and now that they are gone Tomlin is truly exposed and the sad thing is Rooney doesn’t recognize it nor is he willing to hold Tomlin accountable.

The DK Metcalf move was a desperate move that bush league teams like Cleveland typically make. I garuntee you Metcalf will never perform here like he had in Seattle. We are now that organization that makes desperate moves like making bad trades for high priced disgruntled veterans or drafting a QB every other year and drafting high pedigree players at other positions (see Broderick Jones) that don’t develop up their pedigree. That is who we are. None of this will change until we make bonafide changes with our coaching staff. Which has proven only to be lip service. So we have a weak owner unwilling or unable to see and hold the HC to any accountability and a HC who is driven by power and control and a big ego that he is blinded towards his own inadequacies and he is unwilling to change both on offense and defense. Our HC is driven and motivated by fear with a lack of innovation as a result we are a stagnant organization that is making desperate moves in order to become relevant again.

Just put orange helmets on our players and call us the Browns.

 

The supposed draft experts are like anyone else putting media on Youtube, X, etc. None of these guys have been anything more than low end scouts (if scouts at all), and I pretty much take these guys opinions as next to worthless outside of when Mike Mayock was a part of it. He actually had some level of credibility as both a player and eventually a GM (though his tenure as GM was an abject disaster).

I get that we will never get any "inside scoop" from anyone inside any of the NFL organizations regarding player evaluation, and that all we can go off of is "draft experts"... but I think its important to realize what their opinions are truly worth and just because a player has an "expert grade" of 3rd or 4th round doesn't mean that there aren't a half dozen NFL teams that have a top 30 grade on the same player. Its easy to get tied up into the "value" of a pick and being happy/upset about a pick because they were "over or under drafted".... for QB's you either think they can develop into the face of your franchise, or you don't. If the answer is yes, then he's worth the first round pick every single time. If no, but you like the tools they have and think you might be able to develop them into a starter eventually, then that is where you see 2nd, 3rd, 4th round QB's go. Its how guys like Hurts, Wilson, Cousins, and Prescott fall under the radar a bit. I can get behind being wary on spending a first round pick on a massive project at a non-QB position. It makes the investment a lot less risky if you're sending your second pick instead of your first at a guy like that. However, nearly all QB's are pretty massive projects, so I find that argument more irrelevant when scrutinizing QB's.

Experts get some things right (Pickett for example), but they get just as much (if not more) wrong. Whether they were right or wrong, they arrived at that outcome by sheer luck regardless.

 

I get what you are saying. the other side of this however is our trust or lack of trust in the Steelers ability to develop a QB. Sone organizations are better at than others. I happen to believe we aren’t very good at it, thats why I would prefer not to waste a high draft pick on one and build out the rest of the team. Go with veterans for now until there is that can’t miss prospect that will overcome coaching inefficiencies on their own.

You look at Cleveland for example. They seemingly get the QB position wrong all the time. They missed on Ben. They hit on Mayfield and let him walk. They overspent on Watson and he went from an All Pro to a dud. Now they think they have something in Pickett even though he has been on two teams already. They had some success with Flacco which was inspire of them not because of them. I really see the Steelers in the same boat. SO honestly I can’t get excited about any QB prospects in the draft until we commit to making significant coaching changes and philopshical changes within the organization. That won’t happen until Tomlin is gone.

 

I can understand the skepticism with Tomlin. He's seemingly had the most power within the organization that he's ever had, and it coincides with the deterioration of talent on the team. I would pump the brakes on comparing us to the Browns. They missed and failed to develop MANY QB's we've done that with exactly one. I hope we don't have to do it again of course, but only time will tell.

We need a young QB of the future. There are a few pretty good ones in the draft and there is no guarantee that next year's (or any year's) crop of rookies is going to be any better than this year's. We have Mason (and potentially Rodgers as well), we don't necessarily HAVE to draft a QB, but I think some of the guys available can be good players in the league if we choose to draft one. The whole class doesn't have to be good, if there is exactly one good QB in the class and we draft him, then its a huge hit.