Steelers Face Quarterback Dilemma: Draft Now or Wait for a Loaded 2027 Class?
The Pittsburgh Steelers are standing at a familiar crossroads - and this time, it’s about more than just who lines up under center in 2026. With quarterback play under the microscope and the franchise still searching for long-term stability at the position, the assumption has been that the Steelers will be active in the upcoming draft to find their next signal-caller. But not everyone is sold on that timeline.
NFL draft analyst Todd McShay has added an interesting wrinkle to the conversation, suggesting that the Steelers - and other QB-needy teams - might be better off waiting until 2027 to make their move. According to McShay, next year’s quarterback class is shaping up to be one of the deepest and most talented in recent memory.
“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,’” McShay said during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show. He went on to rattle off a list of names that could headline the 2027 class: Arch Manning, LaNorris Sellers, Julian Sayin, DJ Lagway, Sam Levitt, Jayden Maiava - a group that, on paper, brings both pedigree and upside.
That’s a lot of talent potentially hitting the draft board at once. And if that projection holds, it could dramatically shift how teams like Pittsburgh approach their quarterback search.
Originally, the 2026 NFL Draft was expected to be rich with quarterback options. Prospects like Drew Allar (Penn State), Cade Klubnik (Clemson), and LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina) were supposed to headline a strong class.
But college football had other plans. Some of those players underwhelmed in 2025, while others chose to return to school for another season, shrinking the top-tier pool of QB prospects.
That’s not to say the cupboard is bare. There are still intriguing names in the mix - most notably, Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana, along with Oregon’s Dante Moore and Alabama’s Ty Simpson.
But even those options come with asterisks. Moore and Simpson could still opt to return to school, and if they do declare, the competition to land one of them will be fierce.
Here’s where it gets tricky for the Steelers. If they want to move up in the draft to secure a top quarterback, it’s going to cost them - and possibly more than they’d like.
Pittsburgh is in the thick of the playoff race, which means their draft position is sliding further away from those coveted top picks. The higher they finish, the more expensive it becomes to trade up.
The good news? The Steelers are expected to have a healthy supply of compensatory picks, which could give them the ammunition to make a move if they decide to go all-in this April. But McShay’s point is a compelling one: if the 2027 class is as stacked as it appears, is this the right year to spend premium capital on a quarterback?
There’s also the broader team-building philosophy to consider. If the Steelers believe they’re not one player away - if they see holes elsewhere on the roster that need patching - then waiting a year and using their 2026 picks to strengthen other areas could make a lot of sense. Then, when the 2027 draft rolls around, they’d be in a better position to drop a rookie quarterback into a more complete roster.
It’s a classic NFL balancing act: short-term needs versus long-term vision. Do the Steelers make a move now, knowing the QB pool is thinner and more expensive? Or do they play the long game, bolster the roster, and take their shot in what could be a historic quarterback class next year?
Either way, Pittsburgh’s front office has some tough decisions ahead. And with the playoff race heating up and draft season looming, the pressure is only going to intensify.