Steelers must avoid the Kenny Pickett mistake in 2026 NFL Draft

With or without Aaron Rodgers, the Pittsburgh Steelers cannot afford to get desperate and repeat their Kenny Pickett mistake by reaching on one volatile quarterback prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft . Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson — the inexperienced yet consensus QB2 heading into the NFL Draft — has been often linked as a potential first-round option for the Steelers , but there situation is eerily similar to the same blunder they made in drafting Pickett. The Steelers chose positional need over talent back in the 2022 NFL Draft, and the decision to draft Pickett cost them big.

Just like that draft, the quarterback talent within the 2026 class is few and far between — with the exception of guaranteed first-rounder Fernando Mendoza. Drafting Simpson, who's level of play fell off a cliff late last season, with the 21st overall pick would be nearly the exact same mistake Pittsburgh made four years ago. Even if the Steelers' Will Howard experiment somehow doesn't pan out, not reaching on Simpson — with the 2027 NFL Draft class shaping up to be historically great at quarterback — is a reward in itself when compared to risking another Pickett fiasco.

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