In three of the past five years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have either traded their first-round pick for a higher selection or for an established player. CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson argued on December 19 that it could happen again in 2024.
In his latest 2024 NFL mock draft, Wilson projected the Steelers to move up from their current draft position at No. 16 to No. 10 in order to select Washington quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Michael Penix Jr.
“The Steelers offense feels like it’s coming from the 1850s, not even the 1950s,” Wilson said on CBS Sports Network. “And what you get from Michael Penix Jr. is a guy who can throw the deep ball. And guess what Diontae Johnson and George Pickens like to do? Run deep.
“Now, who knows what this roster looks like offensively a year from now. There’s so much going on in the locker, but Michael Penix Jr. is special. He’s one of the best, if not the best, deep-ball thrower in college football.”
Wilson continued his argument for why he predicted the Steelers to move up the draft board to select Penix on X (formerly Twitter).
“The Steelers traded up to No. 10 for LB Devin Bush back in 2019,” Wilson wrote. “They should absolutely consider trading up at least that high for a QB in April. They need to quit leaning into the mistakes — just admit them and move on.
“Then get a legit OC (turns out, that’s important too!).”
The Steelers traded up to No. 10 for LB Devin Bush back in 2019. They should absolutely consider trading up at least that high for a QB in April. They need to quit leaning into the mistakes — just admit them and move on. Then get a legit OC (turns out, that's important too!). pic.twitter.com/e3V7ncRf35
— ryan wilson (@ryanwilsonCBS) December 19, 2023
Penix posted back-to-back 4,000-yard passing seasons in 2022 and 2023 at Washington. As a senior this fall, Penix completed 65.9% of his passes for an average of 9.1 yards per attempt with 33 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.
Could the Steelers Draft a First-Round Quarterback?
Wilson isn’t the first NFL pundit to argue the Steelers will be in the quarterback market at draft time. NFL insider Peter King has suggested during two December appearances on The Cook & Joe Show on 93.7 The Fan that the Steelers could grab a quarterback early in the 2024 NFL draft.
“I’ll just say this, if Kenny Pickett can’t take it (the Steelers drafting a quarterback), then he’s not your guy. He just isn’t your guy,” King said on December 12. “So I wouldn’t shy away from that (drafting a quarterback).
King, though, didn’t argue the Steelers have to move up the draft to land a good quarterback prospect.
“Look, with as many good quarterbacks as they’re are in this draft, think about this. There’s gonna be one wherever the Steelers pick,” said King.
Wilson didn’t get specific about what the Steelers would have to offer to move up to No. 10. But in terms of the draft, the Steelers have helped their cause recently.
The team’s current three-game losing streak has moved Pittsburgh up the draft board. If the Steelers continue to play poorly, they may not have to trade up to possess a top 10 pick.
Entering Week 16, the Steelers own the No. 16 selection in the first round. The Steelers hold the last pick of the 7-7 non-playoff teams because they have the most difficult strength of schedule.
However, only two losses separate the Steelers and the teams who currently own picks No. 5-9.
Steelers’ Mason Rudolph Auditioning for 2024 Role?
Regardless of what the Steelers do at quarterback in the upcoming draft, it’s difficult to envision Kenny Pickett not being on the 2024 Pittsburgh roster. It’s a different story for Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph.
The Steelers benched Trubisky after a second poor start in Week 15. Although Trubisky has two years remaining on his contract, the Steelers could cut him with only a $4.6 million dead cap hit in 2024, according to Spotrac.
That’s likely the best course of action if the Steelers drafted a quarterback.
Whether the same happens to Rudolph could depend on how he performs in Week 16. He is projected to make his first start on December 23 in more than two years.
Rudolph will be an unrestricted free agent in March. If he performs well against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers could bring him back as a veteran sounding board for Pickett and a rookie on another 1-year deal.
The likelihood of that occurring, though, probably declines significantly if Rudolph doesn’t perform better than Trubisky has this season.
Clearly, the Steelers will have a lot of question marks behind center entering the offseason. But the team has options, including Wilson’s idea of trading up to draft one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2024 class.
The consensus 2024 draft rankings from ESPN and Pro Football Focus have Penix ranked as the No. 5-best quarterback in the upcoming draft class. Bleacher Report’s big board has Penix slotted as the seventh-best signal caller in the class.
