The 33rd Team's Kyle Crabbs projected Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers to select LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
There are more than 50 weeks until the 2026 NFL Draft. But it’s going to be one of the most highly anticipated drafts in Pittsburgh Steelers history not just because the organization will play host.
NFL pundits are already projecting the Steelers to select a quarterback.
On April 28, The 33rd Team’s Kyle Crabbs predicted the Steelers to grab LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier at No. 16 overall.
“Pittsburgh appears to be angling for the Aaron Rodgers band-aid. The team bypassed quarterbacks early before securing Will Howard on Day 3,” wrote Crabbs.
“Howard is a good add at that stage of the game, but Nussmeier was trending towards a potential first-round ticket last season before falling apart down the stretch.”
Nussmeier hit a rough patch in late October and early November that probably dropped his draft stock. That’s likely why quarterback elected to return to LSU for his redshirt senior season.
But Nussmeier still finished with 4,052 passing yards and 29 touchdowns while completing 64.2% of his passes during his first full season as a college starter in 2024.
Why Steelers Are Likely to Be in the 2026 QB Market
The conversation around quarterback in Pittsburgh is currently centered around whether or not Aaron Rodgers will actually sign.
But Rodgers is 41 years old, so he’s likely a one-year solution. Barring something bad happening to Pittsburgh’s depth quarterbacks, Mason Rudolph and Will Howard will be on the roster in 2026. Unless one of them surprisingly improves, though, the Steelers aren’t likely to view either as their franchise quarterback going forward.
The Steelers could test free agency a third straight season. But multiple Steelers insiders expect the team to be in the quarterback market in the 2026 draft.
On April 30, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac wrote the team will be “all in” on quarterbacks in next year’s draft. The same day, Steelers insider Mark Kaboly wrote the team is eyeing a “big move” for a quarterback in the 2026 class.
That coincides with what Steelers president Art Rooney II stated early this offseason when he said the team wants to find a long-term solution behind center either in 2025 or 2026.
Could Steelers Target LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier?
Kaboly refused “to attach a specific name” at quarterback for the Steelers in the 2026 draft. Dulac also didn’t name any signal-callers expected to be available in next year’s draft.
Generally, it’s too early to be doing that. It’s nearly impossible to project an NFL draft days prior to it taking place let alone 50 weeks beforehand.
For one thing, the draft order is unknown. Where the Steelers are picking in the first round will greatly impact how likely they are to land a signal-caller.
How each college quarterback performs this fall will also influence the draft order.
So even if we assume the Steelers target quarterback in the first round next year, it’s not easy to project who it might be.
If it’s going to be Nussmeier, he might need to cut down on his turnovers. In 2024, he led the SEC with 12 interceptions in 13 games. That’s not in line with the philosophy the Steelers prefer to play — winning the turnover margin.
But Nussmeier appears to have the tools to be an intriguing prospect.
“When he comes out in 2026, he will be a 24-year-old rookie quarterback, but teams have started to care far less about the age of quarterbacks coming out in recent classes,” wrote Penn Live’s Nick Farabaugh.
“So, that should not ding Nussmeier, who has a strong arm and plenty of physical tools that some teams will buy into immediately.”
In Crabbs’ early mock draft, three quarterbacks went ahead of Nussmeier in the top 15. Those signal-callers were South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, Penn State’s Drew Allar, and Texas’ Arch Manning.
Steelers Nation should probably pay attention to all of those quarterbacks this fall because any one of them could become Pittsburgh’s future starter.
