The Pittsburgh Steelers have really painted themselves into a corner. For the second consecutive year, they are facing a completely new quarterback room. Not just a new starter; everybody is gone. Justin Fields is now with the New York Jets. Russell Wilson had an ugly divorce after season’s end and won’t be back. The highest rated free agent QB- Sam Darnold (who saw that coming) signed with the Seattle Seahawks. Even Daniel Jones is off the market. Guess what else? This is NOT the year to look for a quarterback in the draft. They’ve also already traded away their second-round pick.
The 2025 season is going to be a very bumpy one, folks. The good thing is that the Steelers are in line to pick up a bunch of compensatory picks in the 2026 NFL Draft after Dan Moore Jr., Justin Fields, James Daniels, and Najee Harris signed elsewhere. Even if Tomlin manages to make a one-and-done playoff appearance this coming season (which seems unlikely), these picks give Omar Khan ammunition to move up in the draft if need be. Here is an early look at the favorites to be the top quarterbacks selected in next year’s draft.
Arch Manning, Texas
Manning is the big one- the Ferrari in the car lot. He’s been a prospect people have been watching since he started playing QB in peewee football (is it still called that?) Possibly even earlier. Arch Manning has a natural throwing motion and a good arm. Unlike his uncles, he is a legitimate dual-threat QB and a very good athlete. But he has limited experience and never beat out Quinn Ewers at Texas. Is he really “the guy”?
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Nussmeier has a live arm. He’s tough, gritty, and will play through pain. He’s more of a traditional pocket passer but will move around some. Nussmeier is not afraid to use the middle of the field and has full confidence in his arm. He’s 6’2, 200 pounds, so size will be a concern. At times he seems to have trouble moving through progressions and needs to work on locating checkdowns when his first look isn’t there.
Drew Allar, Penn State
Many people were surprised- myself included- when Drew Allar decided to return to school. Considering how weak this draft class is viewed it was thought he could go fairly high. Allar has prototypical size for an NFL quarterback. He has an elite arm and can make throws anywhere on the field. His consistency needs to improve, and he is not a rushing threat.
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
The most physically gifted athlete in this group, LaNorris Sellers is a fast and powerful runner; at 6’3 245 pounds! He also has a great arm and good accuracy, so he is bringing the total package to the table. Sellers is young, which is desirable from a scouting perspective. He sometimes plays a little too fast and gets ahead of himself. He’ll have more of a learning curve and need to work on his patience in letting plays develop.
Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee
Ah yes, the QB I will always refer to as just “Nico.” There were some differences of opinions who the number one recruit out of high school was between himself and Arch Manning. Nico has a big arm, and a very quick release. He has great mobility for his size at 6’6. However, he Is also rail thin at 215 pounds so there will be concerns about durability in the NFL. At times he will bypass his check downs and force dangerous throws down field.
Conclusion
Please keep in mind that this is very early. This coming season will put out a lot more tape and some of these players have limited playing time. These are just names of players to keep an eye on as possible future franchise signal callers for the Steelers. Some of these guys may have down years and fade some. There will be other players that take up starting roles and flourish that will rise. Either way, as we are all painfully aware the quarterback position will be a huge area of need in next year’s draft. As fans, we desperately need our new face of the franchise.
