The Steelers’ quarterback picture is already stirring up questions, and the first preseason action only sharpened them. Will Howard and Drew Allar both had rough patches, though Allar, the rookie, came away looking a little more promising than Howard. That internal competition is only going to keep building.
With that in mind, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Pittsburgh starts looking ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft when spring arrives. Neither Howard nor Allar has separated himself as a sure-fire franchise answer, and the next wave of college passers could give the Steelers plenty to watch this season.
Arch Manning sits at the top of that conversation. If he lives up to the hype, he’s the clear favorite to go No. 1 overall, and the Steelers would have no realistic path to him unless they tumble well below expectations. The Texas quarterback has started to settle in after some early struggles and looks like the kind of player who can become the centerpiece of a franchise.
Trinidad Chambliss is another name worth tracking, even if his age stands out. He just turned 24, so by the time he reaches the NFL as a rookie, he’ll be 25.
That’s old for a quarterback prospect, but he broke out last season and enters this year with plenty of momentum. The production is real, and so is the playmaking.
CJ Carr offers a different kind of appeal. He may not be the elite athlete some other names on this list are, but he’s coming off a solid first season as Notre Dame’s starter and brings exactly the sort of traits Pittsburgh could appreciate.
The ball jumps out of his hand, and the intelligence is there. He still has a lot to prove, but he could climb draft boards fast.
Jayden Maiava brings a flashier skill set. The USC quarterback can make jaw-dropping plays that have a Patrick Mahomes-like feel, and the Steelers would surely be intrigued by that kind of explosiveness.
The issue is cleaning up the mistakes. Too often, the small problems have piled up into bigger ones, and that has to change.
Darian Mensah made his name at Tulane and then Duke before moving to Miami, where a big season could push his stock much higher. The quarterback at that program can get first-round attention with the right year, and Mensah may not be getting enough buzz right now. If he puts it together with the Hurricanes, he could work his way into the top round conversation.
Dante Moore decided to return to Oregon rather than enter the 2026 draft, and that choice gives him another chance to remind everyone how talented he is. He has a lean frame, but the ability is obvious. One of his strongest traits is how well he runs an offense that looks and feels like NFL concepts, and he should be among the top selections this spring.
CJ Bailey is another lighter-framed quarterback who deserves attention. North Carolina State may not be loaded with talent around him, but the raw ability shows up every week. This is a huge season for Bailey, especially with the possibility that he could become a hot name in the transfer portal if his draft stock doesn’t get to where he wants it.
Drew Mestemaker is also on the rise after moving from North Texas to Oklahoma State. He has the kind of profile that could appeal to the Steelers, and there’s a lot in his game that fits what you’d want from a Mike McCarthy quarterback. The question is whether he can make the leap from lesser competition to a bigger stage.
LaNorris Sellers needs a bounce-back year. He entered last season viewed as a near lock to go in the first round, but both he and South Carolina struggled. The tools are still there, though, and he remains the type of dual-threat quarterback Pittsburgh should keep on its radar.
Julian Sayin may end up being a different kind of decision entirely. Unless Ohio State wins the National Championship and Sayin runs away with the top pick conversation, he could choose to stay in school past 2027.
NIL money would make that easy enough. What he does do is win games and run an effective offense, even if he isn’t the tallest or most athletic quarterback in the group.
Demond Williams Jr. is even smaller than Sayin, but his game has real electricity. He’s dynamic with the ball in his hands and dangerous when plays break down. The Steelers would like that kind of outside-the-structure talent, though he still needs to take another step this season.
There are more names to keep in the mix, too. Sam Leavitt, Josh Hoover, John Mateer and Rocco Becht all deserve attention, and the source notes that Leavitt, Hoover and Becht are transfer quarterbacks who could rise quickly with big seasons. If this class develops the way it looks like it might, Pittsburgh could have plenty of options to study.
In Other News...
Lions Linked To An Aggressive Move That Would Change This Secondary
The cornerback market is already being watched closely in Pittsburgh, and Joey Porter Jr. has quickly become one of the names to track. A Bleacher Report analyst recently floated the idea of a trade between the Steelers and Lions, tying Porters contract situation to Detroits need for help at corner and the growing sense that Pittsburgh may soon have a decision to make on its young defensive back.
Porter is seeking a long-term extension, and the Steelers still have not put a formal offer on the table, which only adds to the uncertainty around his future. For now, it remains a speculative link rather than a deal in motion, but it is the kind of possibility that can linger when a players value, contract timeline, and team fit all start pointing in different directions. [Read more 🡒]
Ex Steelers Linebacker Lands Fast While Reunion Candidate Still Waits
Malik Harrison found a new landing spot quickly, agreeing to join the Giants' practice squad after his run with the Steelers. For a team that has spent plenty of time sorting through linebacker depth over the years, it is another reminder of how fast these roster moves can turn for veterans trying to stay in the mix.
Elandon Roberts, meanwhile, is still waiting for his next opportunity after also spending time in Pittsburgh. The contrast between the two former Steelers linebackers is the interesting part here, because one has already moved on and the other is still out there as teams continue to make decisions at the position. [Read more 🡒]
Broderick Jones Is Reviving An Uncomfortable Steelers Coaching Debate
Broderick Jones is already reminding people why he was such a fascinating project for the Steelers in the first place. The former Pittsburgh tackle has obvious physical gifts, and Brian Schottenheimers recent comments about him offered a familiar kind of praise with a catch: Jones is a talented athlete who still needs some retraining on the finer points of playing the position. Schottenheimer also liked Jones attitude toward coaching, which is the sort of detail teams always love to hear when they believe the upside is real.
For Pittsburgh, though, the conversation lands in an uncomfortable place because it circles back to the way Jones was developed, and whether enough was done to polish his technique before the coaching changes along the offensive line. Jones inconsistency has long been part of the evaluation, and the latest outside assessment does not exactly quiet the debate about how much of that is on the player and how much is on the system around him. Even after the move away from the Steelers, his progress still reads like a referendum on the coaching he had in Pittsburgh. [Read more 🡒]