Steelers Now
Not everyone thinks the Pittsburgh Steelers should draft a quarterback in 2026.
It’s no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers have been gearing up to select a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, one draft expert doesn’t think that would be such a good idea.
Todd McShay of The Ringer believes the 2027 NFL Draft has a chance to be generational at the quarterback position and that quarterback-needy teams like the Steelers should wait one more year to target the position.
“Everyone’s looking and saying, ‘You know what, maybe I buck the trend and go into the NFL as an inexperienced quarterback versus being part of that group next year’ that could have Arch (Manning) and LaNorris Sellers, and could have Julian Sayin and could have a DJ Lagway off of a transfer portal,” McShay said on The Rich Eisen Show. “And all these others, Sam Levitt, Jayden Maiava, I mean, there’s just so many quarterbacks for next year. It’s shaping up, 2027, to be one of the best quarterback classes ever.”
This year’s draft was originally expected to be loaded at the position with names like Penn State’s Drew Allar, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, among others.
That is not how things have played out this season, though. Several of the previously highly-regarded players disappointed and/or decided to return to school in 2026.
That doesn’t mean the 2026 NFL Draft will have no quarterback talent. There are still some intriguing names like Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza of Indiana, Oregon’s Dante Moore and Alabama’s Ty Simpson, and that is if Moore and Simpson don’t plan to return to school, either.
However, that likely means it will cost the Steelers even more to move up to get one of them. That could become increasingly difficult as Pittsburgh continues to fight for a playoff spot and push itself down the draft board, too.
The Steelers should have plenty of compensatory draft capital to help their efforts in a potential move up, but McShay certainly raises the question of if it would be better for them to continue building up their roster elsewhere before plugging in a rookie.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Draft Expert Urges Steelers to Wait on Drafting QB in 2026
