Discussions that the Pittsburgh Steelers could target a quarterback during the 2025 NFL draft began shortly after the team’s playoff exit. That speculation is now reaching new heights at the conclusion of the Super Bowl.
In his first post-Super Bowl 2025 mock draft, The 33rd Team’s Kyle Crabbs predicted the Steelers to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart at No. 21 overall.
“So what happens if the buzz around Jaxson Dart going in the first round is indeed true? Well, this feels like the spot,” Crabbs wrote on Feb. 10.
“Pittsburgh is caught in a bit of Quarterback Purgatory with their competitive seasons, leaving them with limited options and resources to solve the position. If they like Dart, they should be operating with the understanding that they’ll have exactly ONE opportunity to get him. And it’s here at No. 21 overall.”
Crabbs’ remark about the Steelers being in quarterback purgatory is an opinion many fans of team’s fan base share. But part of the reason for that is the danger of drafting a signal caller in the second half of the first round.
The Steelers selected Kenny Pickett at No. 20 overall in 2022. He was off their roster two years later.
On Feb. 7, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski identified Dart as one of the five “most likely” prospects to be overdrafted in the 2025 class.
“The physical traits are present in Dart’s skill set, and he has some play-maker to his game,” wrote Sobleski. “At the same time, he looks more like a long-term investment who will take time to reach full maturation.”
Will Jaxson Dart Be a 2025 First-Round Pick?
If the Steelers draft Dart at No. 21, the comparisons to that decision and the one to select Pickett three years ago will likely be endless.
Similar to 2022, pundits don’t predict the 2025 quarterback class to be deep. But the Steelers need a long-term solution behind center.
It’s a hard position to address, though, with where the Steelers often pick in the first round. With Mike Tomlin, the Steelers have never entered the draft with a first-round pick higher than No. 15.
But landing a potential franchise quarterback is even harder on Day 2 of the draft. After No. 21 this year, Pittsburgh’s next selection is No. 52 overall.
Unless the Steelers make a draft trade, the only way to ensure landing Dart is at No. 21.
“He will need to work with better anticipation and decisiveness to win in tight windows as a pro,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote. “Teams might see physical and play similarities between Dart and Brock Purdy but such a pathway for Dart likely requires a balanced, ball-control passing attack that allows him to manage the game instead of driving it.”
An NFC executive called first-round talk around Dart “misguided” while talking to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Dart showed why with a mixed bag performance at the Senior Bowl.
“The safer bet for Dart would be early Day 2, but supply and demand looms large in the quarterback market over the next three months,” wrote Fowler.
Mike Tomlin Shoots Down QB Purgatory Narrative
The term “quarterback purgatory” didn’t specifically get mentioned during Tomlin’s post-season press conference on Jan. 14. But when asked about the difficulty of finding a quarterback while not selecting at the top of the draft, Tomlin mentioned recent successful quarterbacks who weren’t top picks.
“Lamar [Jackson[ wasn’t taken at the top of the draft. [Jalen] Hurts wasn’t taken in the first round,” Tomlin told reporters. “So, I don’t know that I necessarily agree with the question.”
Tomlin was somewhat doing himself a disservice by bringing up Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts. The Steelers passed on both signal callers. Not landing Hurts in the 2020 NFL draft has been a particular sore spot for Pittsburgh fans.
Jackson and Hurts are good examples to prove Tomlin’s point. But there are plenty of other quarterbacks that were drafted late in the first or the second round who haven’t been successful. Again, the Steelers had one in Pickett.
The question this offseason is which one will Dart be. Furthermore, will his potential upside be worth the risk at No. 21 overall?
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