The Pittsburgh Steelers have already fully overhauled their quarterback depth chart this offseason by way of free company (Russell Wilson) and commerce (Justin Fields). Might they probably add a draft choose to that blend to finish the offseason trifecta? It’d now be on the radar because the Steelers have a pre-draft go to scheduled with College of Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
It grew to become apparent in the course of the 2023 season that the Steelers needed to do one thing to repair their quarterback state of affairs as former first-round choose Kenny Pickett struggled to make developmental progress. The additions of Wilson and Fields are strong, low-cost gambles that supply short-term upgrades, even when they’re small upgrades.
However there may be nonetheless the problem of a long-term resolution that the Steelers have to fret about. Till they discover that long-term possibility they’ll merely be caught in quarterback purgatory that can proceed to restrict their ceiling when it comes to successful a championship.
Given the depth of this 12 months’s quarterback class – and the way weak subsequent 12 months’s is projected to be – it is sensible that the Steelers would at the least wish to do their due diligence on the signal-callers on this 12 months’s class.
Penix Jr. is an intriguing prospect as a result of whereas he isn’t thought-about to be one of many 4 high prospects at his place (Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels and J.J. McCarthy), he nonetheless has an opportunity to go very excessive. Particularly after displaying a powerful 40-time throughout his professional day, unofficially clocking in (relying on the stopwatch) between 4.51 seconds and 4.57 seconds, per Senior Bowl govt director Jim Nagy.
Taking Penix Jr. within the first spherical (No. 20 total) would in all probability be a substantial danger for the Steelers, at the least because it pertains to competing this season.
The Steelers gained 10 video games a season in the past, made the playoffs and are bringing again a top-10 protection that received higher this offseason with the additions of Patrick Queen, Donte Jackson and DeShon Elliott. With the additions of Wilson and Fields at quarterback, the crew clearly has its eyes on a return to the postseason this season and hopefully successful a playoff sport for the primary time because the 2016 season.
Pittsburgh additionally nonetheless has some fairly huge wants on their roster that could possibly be stuffed with that first-round choose, together with a necessity for a middle and assist at offensive deal with. They may tackle both spot at No. 20 overeall.
However what if Penix Jr. begins to slip down the boards? What if he begins to strategy the second spherical or truly goes into the second spherical? That is perhaps a state of affairs and a chance that’s an excessive amount of for the Steelers to disregard.
