Draft Chatter: Steelers said to be serious about drafting a young QB with starter potential

YOUNG QB ON RADAR

The Steelers have a ton of needs going into the NFL draft from running back, safety, both linebacker positions to wide receiver. Quarterback is very far down the list, yet there’s been a lot of chatter in the past week that the Steelers intend to give serious consideration to drafting a specific two to three QB targets who could be there in rounds three to five with these particularly quarterbacks being viewed by the Steelers as having starter potential.

To me it’s idiotic to draft a quarterback before round 5 but there’s a lot of smoke out there of the Steelers drafting one as early as the third or fourth round.

What are the reasons? That’s unclear but there is buzz that ownership wants to put some pressure on Ben Roethlisberger who at 31 years old has three years left on his deal and is seeking to rip up his current deal and sign another 100+ million contract next summer. Ownership is not jumping up for joy at giving Roethlisberger another massive deal, sources say.

“There is a lot of talk about the quarterback position not being particularly special this year, and I disagree with that,” GM Kevin Colbert said on Monday. “I think that group of quarterbacks, you’ll have starters emerge from that group. I don’t think anybody sat here last year and was ready to deem Russell Wilson a starter, Pro Bowl, playoff-caliber quarterback. He came out and surpassed expectations, quite honestly. I think this group, you’ll see players pop out of the quarterback position that will be starters, and some may be stars.”

We hear the Steelers are very intrigued about Florida State’s E.J. Manuel who is regarded as a second-third round prospect, while Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette listed Tennessee’s Tyler Bray being a quarterback that the Steelers have very strong interest in.