Hey Steelers Fans. Welcome to Monday.
The Kickoff
Don’t do it. Don’t do it Steelers. Don’t draft a quarterback in round one. That’s the takeaway from this year’s NFL Combine. It’s MY takeaway anyway and I feel pretty strong about it. There’s no question that Ty Simpson and Garrett Nussmeier are the sons of football coaches. The footwork is excellent and the overall mechanics are superior to just about all of the other eligible QBs in this draft. The problem is that neither has a ‘big arm’ and I’m not convinced the overall accuracy is there either. When you’re throwing sideline routes against “air” and still can’t get the ball in front of the receiver? I’ve got concerns. But it’s more than just the weak QB class in my opinion. There’s a lot of really good talent in this draft in other areas – areas the Steelers desperately need help too. There are plenty of talented wide receivers that will be available in nearly every round. The cornerbacks and safeties in this draft are really good and the defensive linemen and linebackers displayed depth and talent as well. For all I know, one or more of these QBs will go on to great success. The entire process really is a crap shoot but based on what I’ve seen on tape and at the Combine, the Steelers would be best suited to build around the quarterback this year and draft “their guy” next year.
Let’s Talk About Green
There’s one quarterback worth discussing simply because of his athletic performance this weekend. Arkansas QB Taylen Green lit the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium on fire during individual drills creating some really interesting discussion. As a passer, Green is erratic. His throwing motion is long and his completion percentage hovers around 59%. As a runner, the sky is the limit. He ran the forty in 4.36 seconds and then hit a vertical of 43 ½”. Let’s also mention that he’s almost 6’6” and 227lbs. Why am I mentioning this guy? For this reason alone; any team that drafts him will immediately have a package for him. Defenses will not just be able to load the box on him because if he breaks the first line he’s gone. That’s no reason to draft him but someone will get a really intriguing guy come April.
If This is Accurate….
Rodgers
Most of you already know I’m not in favor of bringing Aaron Rodgers back. We saw what he was in 2025 and sure, there were some good moments but there were also some bad ones too. I see no reason to keep kicking the can down the road with a 43-year old who still hasn’t decided if he’s coming back or not. The season ended in early January. If he doesn’t know by now he never will. Bring in a free agent and give Will Howard a chance to compete. If anything, it may result in a much higher draft pick.
Whoa.
According to Mike DeFabo at The Athletic, Steelers’ left tackle Broderick Jones had fusion surgery on his neck in January. Recovery is typically 5-7 months. Players like Peyton Manning and P.J. Locke have both had this surgery and returned to the field. Asante Samuel, Jr returned to the field this year with the Steelers after having it as well. Jones should be fine but I do think that this will guarantee him not getting his fifth-year option.
The Formal Visits
We are starting to see some of the prospects that are scheduled to visit the Steelers in the process leading up to the draft. Drew Allar will count as a “local visit” as he played at Penn State while Ty Simpson and Carson Beck are the other QBs expected to visit. Beck is absolutely the surprise of the three. The guy is a winner. He won almost 40 games at Georgia and Miami so I can see why the Steelers will kick the tires. Also, expect significant amounts of defensive backs and wide receivers to be visiting as well.
Random Reads
I’m a little surprised the Steelers haven’t released anyone (outside of Calvin Anderson) yet. With the new League year beginning on the 11th, I would think this has to be coming… We suggested on the Podcast several times that if you aren’t going to use Pat Freiermuth then why not trade him? Apparently there are teams that have made overtures in this regard… The Steelers announced this weekend that they will install a new type of grass. It’s the same used by Philadelphia and Chicago. Will it work? I’ll believe it when I see it… How Ohio State didn’t win a National Title remains a mystery to me. The talent they had on display this weekend was nuts… Keep an eye on UConn WR Skyler Bell. He had a tremendous Combine performance but still needs to prove he can consistently catch the ball… Regardless of our political leanings, I hope all of us support our troops.
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