The Pittsburgh Steelers may have the most unpredictable quarterback room in the entire NFL. With Aaron Rodgers having visited and seen throwing to DK Metcalf, many believed the 41-year-old was on his way to the Steel City. However, a deal is not done, and the Steelers’ current QB1 is Mason Rudolph.
Despite all this, the NFL Draft looms, and with the No. 21 spot in Round 1, Pittsburgh could go legitimately anywhere. They may even go with Alabama QB Jalen Milroe, who is projected by most as anywhere from a second- to fourth-round talent.
Jalen Milroe’s Meeting With Mike Tomlin and the Steelers
As Milroe visited with head coach Mike Tomlin and Pittsburgh, it was clear there was a mutual interest between the two. Milroe joined Mike Garafolo on NFL Network, where the two discussed the visit.
.@JalenMilroe with a sneak peek of his meeting with @steelers HC Mike Tomlin. pic.twitter.com/lZpZthTRZq
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) April 11, 2025
“It’s funny, everybody has their own type of personality,” Milroe said. “You got the stern coach, you got the laid-back coach, you got the relationship-oriented coach. Coach Tomlin was chill, laid back when I met with him.”
The ex-Alabama captain continued by saying how “cool” the experience truly was. “It was definitely a cool visit,” Milroe said. “You always think you gotta keep ya head up high, be serious the whole conversation. Nah, it was a laid-back conversation.”
As coach Tomlin left a good impression on Milroe, so did the Steelers club in general.
Dissecting the Tomlin-Milroe Relationship Ahead of Draft Night
When Milroe met Tomlin, it followed the 6’2″ QB’s pro day in Alabama. The Steelers head coach, along with general manager Omar Khan, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, and quarterbacks coach Tom Arth, were all in attendance for a dinner with the Alabama talent. The mass of Steelers royalty involved in the chat with Milroe shows a defined interest by the ball club.
There are no guarantees where Pittsburgh will go with any of their draft picks as they have needs at QB, CB, DT, RB, and more. The only thing known for sure is that Milroe and the Steelers will be looking for one another at some point on draft night.
Steelers Projected First Two Picks of 2025 Draft
In a recent seven-round 2025 NFL Mock Draft by PFSN’s Reese Decker, the Steelers go with a cornerback and quarterback with their opening two selections. General manager Khan elects to go with Maxwell Hairston at 21st overall in this mock. This pairs the speedster with former second-round pick Joey Porter Jr., giving Pittsburgh one of the more young and electrifying secondaries in the NFL.
Pittsburgh does not choose again until the third round, as their second-round pick now belongs to Seattle, courtesy of the Metcalf trade. That is where the wrinkle comes in terms of adding Milroe. Decker sees Milroe go 40th overall to the New Orleans Saints in this mock.
This leaves Pittsburgh with the 83rd overall pick, where they select quarterback Tyler Shough out of Louisville. Regardless if it is Milroe, Shough, or even someone like Jaxson Dart in Round 1, look for Pittsburgh to take a QB in one of the early rounds in this year’s draft.