Steelers Could Have Afforded to Mortgage Draft Picks for Star QB

I received some interesting responses, to say the least.

First, let me clarify. Hoarding first round picks does not win Super Bowls anymore. The unknown 22-year-old the Steelers could draft with a future pick guarantees absolutely nothing. There were several Steelers fans who cited the draft success of the 70’s where future Hall of Famers abounded. Which is true, but it has never happened again. The ’74 Draft was an absolute anomaly. The NFL has changed. Drastically. The last two Super Bowl Winners (Bucs, Rams) were teams that took risks on veteran QB's (Brady, Stafford) who were not long-term solutions.

That tweet seems rather irrelevant now that Rodgers has signed a $4-year contract worth a reported $200 million with $153 million guaranteed, although there are conflicting reports from his camp on the money terms. That's a ton of cash - but my point remains. The Steelers cannot be so beholden to their first round picks if they are sacrificing a potential shot at a super bowl.

I know Steelers fans are going to tell me about TJ Watt and Cam Heyward in the first round, and maybe even Big Ben - and they are right. But I would rebut with Artie Burns, Devin Bush, Jarvis Jones and Terrell Edmunds. I would have certainly traded those three players for Aaron Rodgers. Seven days a week and twice on Sunday. “What about being a dynasty? What about our future?” are questions being thrown around in my comments.

What about it? The reality of today’s NFL is that the days of dynasties and repeated success are over. The Patriots were the last of that era. Look at Kansas City. Everyone across the football world was ready to label them the next great dynasty after their first Super Bowl win, and they haven’t won since. The NFL is becoming a now or never league, and if the Steelers aren’t careful, they could fall into neverland fast. 

Not to bury the lead, but I am sure the Broncos aren't losing sleep over their future draft picks. They may have a slightly better roster than Pittsburgh, but they took a risk at their biggest hole. They understood what the Steelers need to understand, that without a top tier quarterback, a Super Bowl is nothing but a pipe dream.

“There are so many holes on this team!” you have shouted at me in the replies. Everything from corner to offensive and defensive line, to linebacker, to even a backup running back. Really? We don’t want to trade for a future franchise Quarterback because we don’t have a great backup running back?

The truth of the matter is, after the top 10 picks, the rest of the first round is often spent reaching for guys that probably belong in the second round, and the Steelers have been sitting outside the top 10 for quite some time. So why not give a few up for a known commodity? There are starters, pro-bowlers, even Hall of Famers sitting in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th rounds. Even undrafted guys. Remember James Harrison? Willie Parker?

With Wilson and Rodgers out of the equation, let’s look at the draft. You want a young QB to develop and be there long term? Malik Willis? Kenny Pickett? Probably going to cost you this year’s first and next years, at minimum to move up. Are we really going to sit here and say the Steelers should park at the 20th pick for a defensive tackle or right guard? You can solve those issues elsewhere. And the Steelers seem to be taking those avenues considering the reports they are closing in on Ryan Jensen.

A lot of you are going to remind me that Josh Allen, Pat Mahomes, and Justin Herbert and all the great Quarterbacks in the NFL right now came in the first round. But I say again. They came in the top 10. The Steelers would have to be bad, I mean BAD, to have a chance at taking a QB that high. Would you rather burn some draft picks or burn a season?

“But Lamar Jackson!” you say. Yes, he was taken at the end of the first round. I would present you with Jordan Love, Dwayne Haskins, Josh Rosen, Paxton Lynch, Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater, Ryan Tannehill, Brandon Weeden, Jake Locker, Christian Ponder, Blaine Gabbert and Tim Tebow. A lot of nothing outside of the top 10. There are even some guys taken high in the first that flopped.

I am not saying the Steelers should go full Mike Ditka and trade away a full draft class for one person. That would be risking the future. But trading a few years of firsts for the back-to-back MVP would not have been. And trading up for a QB wouldn’t be either. The future is not entirely based on first round picks. I understand there are no guarantees in the NFL, but draft picks are about has far from guaranteed as you can get.

The days of a Trent Dilfer or even a Nick Foles winning a Super Bowls have passed. We all watched the AFC Playoffs. Good luck beating Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Derek Carr, or even Justin Herbert without a superstar at quarterback. Having a great quarterback can solve a lot of issues. Look at Cincinnati. Their offensive line was at least as good or worse than the Steelers’. They made the Super Bowl!

One more thing. For all you who claim that trading first round picks is uncharacteristic of the Pittsburgh Steelers, let me bring up one name for you: Minkah Fitzpatrick.

The Pittsburgh Steelers would absolutely be Super Bowl contenders had they traded for Aaron Rodgers. And truthfully, that’s what this team is all about. Competing for Super Bowls. Starting Mason Rudolph or Mitchell Trubisky is not that. At all. Sitting pat at 20 and drafting a corner isn’t either. 

If you want to be the Vikings, or Panthers, or Eagles, or any of those teams that are almost good enough. Then fine. Hoard the picks. Be mediocre. If you want to wait until the Steelers are bad enough to have a top 5 pick when TJ and Heyward and Minkah are long gone. That’s fine too. But after two trips to the playoffs, as a Steelers fan, I want ring number 7, and I want it now.