Steelers Land Heisman-Finalist QB in New Mock Draft

The Steelers will head into the playoffs with Mason Rudolph starting, but quarterback uncertainty abounds. One of the ways they could address that this offseason is by going to the NFL Draft and landing one. In a new mock draft done by Jason McIntyre for Fox Sports, he has the Steelers doing just that with the 23rd overall pick.

Who do they end up picking? Oregon standout quarterback Bo Nix.

“He turns 24 in February, and yes, you could argue they just tried this with Kenny Pickett. who started 49 college games (but only had one good season). Nix has been better for longer, and after 61 starts, looks like a very polished prospect,” McIntyre wrote.

Of course, you must consider what the team wants to do with Pickett. A mid-round pick seems a near certainty, even for future backup investment. But Nix in the first-round seems too close to what they already tried with Pickett. And there are significant questions with Nix to where I would be hard-pressed to pull the trigger on him in the first round.

Despite many tendency-breaking moves in their history over the last few years, that one would be a bit surprising. The team does not generally move off young quarterbacks. They have invested a first-round pick in Pickett and might be willing to give him another shot without Matt Canada’s offense. More than that, Rudolph’s last few weeks could provide them with the confidence to bring him back and roll with the competition. That’s not out of the question.

They will end up drafting someone. I feel confident about that. But there should be significant questions about who they want to land and the fit with the new offensive coordinator coming into the fold. That will determine the capital they invest and who they consider the best fit.