We’re now reaching the end of March, and somehow, the Steelers’ starting quarterback situation has yet to be resolved. With a little over a month until the 2025 NFL Draft, the black and gold continue to be held hostage by Aaron Rodgers or back into another go-around with Russell Wilson. I understand both options wouldn’t be optimistic, but I’m here to tell you that drafting a rookie wouldn’t be either.

This comes on the heels of the Steelers reportedly having dinner with Alabama dual-threat QB Jalen Milroe last night. The team has also shown interest in Ohio State signal-caller Will Howard, and Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers. None of these guys are considered first-round picks by the prognosticators, which means they are all but assuredly a dart throw. Recent data shows that so-called dart throws have essentially been a complete waste of a pick.

Here is a look at quarterbacks drafted AFTER round one over the past four years.

2024 QBs drafted after Round 1

It’s fair to say the jury is still out on a few of these guys. Joe Milton played well in the Patriots’ final regular season game and that has some teams potentially interested in trading for the big-armed signal-caller. Outside of him, are you jumping out of your shoes for any of these dudes? The answer is no.

2023

Barf. How many of these players could you see establishing themselves as a capable starter in the league? Hendon Hooker is intriguing, but he’s also already 27 years old. Will Levis is about to be replaced by Cam Ward in Tennessee and should be looking for a new home by this time next month. This is a big batch of yuck.

2022

We finally have our first, and likely only outlier. Brock Purdy, aka Mr. Irrelevant, finished fourth in AP NFL MVP voting after an outstanding 2023 season. So, there is minimal proof that it is possible to hit a bullseye with a blindfold.

I think Malik Willis has some similarities to Joe Milton in that teams will be intrigued by his skillset. He played well in limited action when filling in for starting QB Jordan Love when he was dinged.

The Steelers are heavily represented on this list, selecting Oladokun, and of course, now rostering Thompson, who has been on mop-up duty in Miami the past few seasons. Of course, we can’t forget to mention that they drafted Kenny Pickett with the 21st pick – which is a mistake that arguably put the franchise in this hole in the first place.

2021

At this point this is redundant. You can see the names on the list. There isn’t much more to say. I think the resounding point is this – if you aren’t a first-round pick, there’s probably a reason. It’s because you are a long shot in the league.

I don’t want to conveniently leave out Jalen Hurts, last year’s Super Bowl-winning quarterback, who was drafted in the second round in 2022. However, the eight signal-callers drafted after Hurts shouldn’t sniff a field again.

By my calculations, those are TWO quarterbacks out of 37 that I’d consider worthwhile selections.

This isn’t just about taking a shot in the dark, it’s also about opportunity cost. By likely wasting a pick on a quarterback, you’re missing out on plenty of talent at other positions. Here are some of the players the Steelers drafted after round two over the aforementioned timeframe:

In 2024:

Center Zach Frazier
Linebacker Paton Wilson
Guard Mason McCormick

In 2023:

Cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
Defensive lineman Keeanu Benton
Tight End Darnell Washington
Linebacker Nick Herbig
Cornerback Cory Trice Jr.

2022:

Wideout George Pickens
Wideout Calvin Austin III

2021:

Tight End Pat Freiermuth
Tackle Dan Moore Jr.
Defensive Tackle Isaiaah Loudermilk

The proof is in that pudding.

I understand what you’re thinking, so how do they get better at the position? They can’t just not try. They need to follow the data, and either trade up in the first round or wait until next season, where the class is clearly much better.

I mentioned Milroe, Howard, and Ewers. Others in that same breath include Louisville QB Tyler Shough and Syracuse QB Kyle McCord. That’s going to be a no from me, dog.

So long story short, the Steelers need to avoid drafting a quarterback outside of the first round… because they could be missing out on the next Payton Wilson, just to add a pair of extra hands to hold a clipboard for a season or two.