PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty of options at quarterback this offseason, and there’s some belief the team is going to make a splash to ensure they find their bonafide starter – or at least someone they believe can be. One option will be through the NFL Draft, and Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports believes they’ll look for one of the top four passers in this year’s class, and make a trade to draft them. In his most recent mock draft, Fornelli has the Steelers moving from the 20th pick to the ninth, selecting Michigan star J.J. McCarthy.
The Steelers realize Kenny Pickett isn’t the answer and don’t waste time trying to correct the situation. Arthur Smith is likely to bring a run-heavy offense that relies on play action and tight ends, and that sounds a lot like the offense McCarthy ran at Michigan! McCarthy has a strong arm, diagnoses defenses quickly, and is a good enough athlete to regularly extend drives with his legs. He’d be a good fit here,” Fornelli writes. McCarthy is expected to be one of the major risers in this year’s NFL Draft. A mid-to-late first-round pick is now climbing into the top 10, and some say he could make his way to the third quarterback taken off the board. McCarthy finished his career with 49 touchdowns and 11 interceptions at Michigan, and led the Wolverines to a National Championship this past season. With the NFL Combine coming up, Pittsburgh could do their homework on QBs, and if they decide to meet with McCarthy, there could be some added reason to think this move could happen.
