Steelers Draft Prediction Bad News for Will Howard

Even with how murky their current quarterback situation looks, the Pittsburgh Steelers chose not to draft a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft.

This is because they continue to hold out hope that future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Rodgers will sign with the Steelers all along after a painstakingly-long free agency drag.

Aside from the ongoing Rodgers saga, the Steelers still invested some draft capital into the position by picking the experienced Ohio State prospect Will Howard in the sixth round.

Howard joins free agent signings Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson in the quarterback room ... which may not bring most Steelers fans too much optimism for this season.

With receiver DK Metcalf as a formidable threat in a scheme otherwise filled with unknowns, it could be a rocky 2025 season for the Pittsburgh offense.

But bad seasons lead to good draft picks, so that always leaves some hope.

This leads Pro Football Network's Brentley Weissman to predict the Steelers target an elite first-round quarterback prospect in the 2026 Draft.

"Luckily for [Pittsburgh], next year’s class has plenty of potential options to choose from," Weissman said.

"Drew Allar is a polarizing prospect, and I actually like him much more than this draft selection would say. I think he has a chance to go in the top three of next year’s draft. He has all of the physical attributes you want, played well in Penn State’s biggest games last season, and did so without much help from his receivers. If he takes a step forward, watch out."

Allar's 2025 season at Penn State will dictate just how high he's projected ... because a top-3 pick could be out of Pittsburgh's reach.

Howard could have a strong chance of seeing the field as a rookie if Rodgers signs elsewhere, but this plan prediction means bad news for his future.

Like Allar's for his draft stock, Howard's performance this season in Pittsburgh will go a long way in the organization building confidence in him and eventually deciding if it's worth chasing a first-round quarterback to take his spot.

This report is more fuel to the fire as he enters his rookie season.

For Allar? Landing in Pittsburgh would be a special storyline if this is indeed any possibility. The Penn State star gets to stay in his home state of Pennsylvania, having grew up just two hours away from Pittsburgh.

For now, he'll have to watch his cross-state Steelers try to figure things out under center, because there are a lot of cards still in play.