Steelers Taking QB Jalen Hurts in Latest ESPN Mock Draft

Cale Berger |

Updated: Apr 14, 2020

ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 28: Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) during warms up before the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl CFP Semifinal college football game between the LSU Tigers and Oklahoma Sooners on Dec. 28, 2019 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.(Photo by Frank Mattia/Icon Sportswire)

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. is projecting the Steelers to draft former Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts at pick 49 in the 2020 NFL Draft.

"I have definitely been told by several teams that [Jalen Hurts] will not get out of round two."@MelKiperESPN has Hurts going to the Steelers in his latest mock draft. pic.twitter.com/sdBcJmGL8u
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 14, 2020

Joining Mike Greenberg on ESPN’s Get Up Tuesday morning, Kiper said that he does not think “(Hurts) gets out of the second round.”

Kiper thinks the Steelers will be the team that pounces on Hurts, as a way of keeping up with the Joneses in the AFC North.

“Think about the Pittsburgh Steelers. They need an heir apparent to Big Ben,” Kiper said. “They’re in a division right now with Lamar Jackson, Mike Tomlin is. With Joe Burrow now going to the Bengals more than likely. And with Baker Mayfield. He knows Big Ben can’t play forever. He needs to start developing that quarterback.”

If the Steelers were to take Hurts with the 49th pick, he would be the highest quarterback drafted by the franchise since taking Roethlisberger 11th overall back in 2004.

Mel Kiper Jr. has the Steelers drafting QB Jalen Hurts 49th. He would be Steelers' highest-drafted QB since taking Big Ben 11th in 2004.

In fact, 5 of 6 teams taking QB in Kiper's mock are looking at their highest-drafted QB since a very successful pick (exception: Raiders). pic.twitter.com/qYpc1NYFqc
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 14, 2020

Hurts became a Heisman finalist in his lone season at Oklahoma after spending his first three years at Alabama. Under Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley, Hurts threw for 32 touchdowns and over 3,800 yards. He also rushed for 20 scores, the second-most of any quarterback in the country.

Kiper also pointed to the Steelers poor quarterback play in 2019 as reason why the club may want to sure up the position behind Roethlisberger in the short-term and for the future. Pittsburgh had the second-worst passing offense in the league last season, and the team’s 19 interceptions were the fifth-most across the NFL.

Even with Roethlisberger’s age and the inconsistency behind him, general manager Kevin Colbert was adamant back in February that the team is “comfortable” going forward with Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges as the team’s backups.