The Pittsburgh Steelers have been active during the offseason, acquiring key veterans like quarterback Justin Fields and wide receiver DK Metcalf, while also drafting seven new players for the 2025 season. Their draft choices began with Oregon's defensive lineman Derrick Harmon and ended with Central Michigan's cornerback Donte Kent. Despite addressing several team needs, CBS Sports' Ryan Wilson notably praised the selection of Ohio State quarterback Will Howard in the sixth round, who had an impressive final collegiate season. Howard's performance is seen as a redeeming factor for the draft, despite earlier missed opportunities to select other highly regarded quarterbacks. As the Steelers prepare for the season, their quarterback lineup includes Howard, Mason Rudolph, and Skylar Thompson, raising questions about their readiness for the regular season.

The Steelers' offseason strategy involved significant player acquisitions, including quarterback Justin Fields via free agency, and wide receiver DK Metcalf through a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.

In the 2025 NFL draft, the Steelers selected seven players, with Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon being their first-round pick and Central Michigan cornerback Donte Kent their final choice.

Ryan Wilson from CBS Sports expressed mixed feelings about the Steelers' draft class, singling out the selection of Ohio State's Will Howard in the sixth round as a saving grace.

Will Howard, noted for his stellar final season at Ohio State, completed 73% of his passes for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, leading his team to a national championship.

Although the Steelers had opportunities to draft other top quarterbacks like Jaxson Dart and Shedeur Sanders, they waited until the sixth round to pick Howard, which some analysts believe improved the overall perception of their draft.

The current quarterback lineup for the Steelers includes Will Howard, Mason Rudolph, and Skylar Thompson, prompting concerns about the team's preparedness for the upcoming NFL season.

While the draft addressed various team needs, the Steelers' approach and selections have sparked debate among analysts and fans, particularly regarding their quarterback strategy.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been busy this offseason, adding many talented veterans to their roster, including quarterback Justin Fields in free agency and wide receiver DK Metcalf in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.

In recent days, Pittsburgh selected seven players to join their roster in the 2025 NFL draft, starting with Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon in the first round (No. 21 overall) and ending with Central Michigan cornerback Donte Kent in the seventh round (No. 229 overall).

While Steelers general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin addressed several team needs over the course of the three-day selection meeting, not everyone is a fan of their class, including CBS Sports' Ryan Wilson.

"The last one I'll mention here, my Pittsburgh Steelers," Wilson said on the "With the First Pick" podcast. "We're living in a world where Will Howard saved this draft for me. I've come around on Derrick Harmon. If he's healthy, I'm fine with that.

"I think I talked myself into a quarterback at 21, and Harmon was a little lower for me than [Walter] Nolen and Kenneth Grant. Kaleb Johnson, I don't love, but if he's 45-percent of Le'Veon Bell, OK. Let's try to make that work. So many faster backs in this class, but fair enough, you need someone to bounce off Jaylen Warren."

When the Steelers came up on the clock in the first round, there were still plenty of quarterback options for them to consider. In fact, the only quarterback off the board at that time was Miami's Cam Ward, who went to the Tennessee Titans with the first-overall pick.

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Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart when to the New York Giants four picks after Pittsburgh's first-round selection. Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, who was projected to be a potential top-10 pick, didn't go until the fifth round.

Despite these facts, the Steelers waited to select Ohio State's Will Howard in the sixth. Howard had a phenomenal final collegiate season with the Buckeyes, completing 73% of his passes for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and leading his team to a national championship.

Pittsburgh now has Howard, Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson in their quarterback room, and they shouldn't want to go into the regular season with that group. However, at least Howard is making the class look better to at least one analyst.

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