Steelers Now
It didn’t work out the last time the Pittsburgh Steelers chose an in-state quarterback in the NFL Draft. Pitt standout Kenny Pickett fizzled out in black and gold after ho-hum seasons, ruining the team’s plans behind center.
In a recent 2026 NFL Draft mock-up, CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards had Mike Tomlin’s team trying once more, taking Penn State’s Drew Allar with the No. 14 overall pick of next spring’s draft.
“Being a mediocre team outside of early draft range has its disadvantages when the team needs a quarterback,” Edwards wrote Tuesday. “Aaron Rodgers tapped into the fountain of youth in Week 1, but his time with the Jets taught us those moments of optimism could be fleeting. Pittsburgh will eventually need to bring in its quarterback of the future, and it worked well last time they brought in a big body from the state of Ohio.”
CBS Sports tabs Allar as the No. 22 overall prospect in the draft and the fourth-best at his position. LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier (No. 1 overall, New Orleans Saints), South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers (No. 2, Cleveland Browns) and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza (No. 11, Los Angeles Rams) were taken ahead of Allar in the order.
Through the Nittany Lions’ initial two outings of this season, Allar has gone 41 for 59 for 417 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He was third in the Big Ten in passing yardage (3,327) last season, behind Ohio State’s Will Howard (4,010) and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel (3,857). The Steelers drafted Howard in the sixth round of this past NFL Draft. Howard is currently on the injured reserve with a finger injury.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Mock 2026 NFL Draft Yields QB Who Could Divide Steelers Fanbase
