The 2022 NFL Draft is the final order of business in Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert’s long and successful career. Colbert is retiring after the draft and surely wants to leave the franchise in good shape before he does. Priority No. 1: Find a replacement for Ben Roethlisberger. Let’s explore the options and make some NFL Draft projections.
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NFL Draft Projections: 2022 prospects the Pittsburgh Steelers should target
The Steelers own seven picks in this year’s draft, but just four in the top 200. Their picks: 1-20, 2-52, 3-84, 4-138, 6-209, 7-226, 7-242. That doesn’t give Colbert a ton of ammunition if he wants to package picks and move up for a quarterback.
And it’s unclear if he wants to handcuff his successor by trading major assets from the 2023 draft to take a quarterback the new GM didn’t pick. So it’s a delicate dynamic in Pittsburgh. Colbert has the complete support of the organization, and Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin clearly wants to address the position.
But if the QB board doesn’t fall in a way to Colbert’s liking, he has plenty of other positions of need, including offensive tackle, wide receiver, safety, and cornerback.
But who are we kidding? This is a quarterback league, and we’re going to talk about quarterbacks in this space. Here are the five most likely to wear black and yellow in 2022.
Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati
The Steelers have done their homework on all of the top quarterback prospects, and Desmond Ridder is no different. Tomlin and Ridder dined together the night before Ridder’s pro day, and then the Steelers doubled down by bringing Ridder to Pittsburgh on a top-30 visit.
“It was a great meeting and a great visit,” Ridder said on the Adam Schein Podcast. “That was my first time in Pittsburgh. So just being able to go around, see the city, the facilities, the offices, and just meeting everyone, it was a great experience. That was my first visit, and I thought it went well.”
In his senior year at Cincinnati, Ridder completed 64.9% of his passes for 3,334 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. While the Steelers are clearly interested, Colbert may have to jump the Saints (who pick 16th and 19th) to get him.
Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
While there’s a decent — although not great — chance that Ridder makes it to the Steelers at 20, it’s all but impossible to envision a scenario in which Malik Willis is available when they’re on the clock. So Colbert will indeed have to package picks and perhaps even players to land the strong-armed Liberty quarterback who might go in the top 10.
However, don’t discount that possibility. Tomlin told Hugh Freeze — according to ESPN’s Todd McShay — that “we’d love to have him, we just don’t know if we can get him at 20.”
Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
There should be no quarterback in this draft with whom the Steelers are more familiar than Kenny Pickett, who played his home games at Heinz Field.
What’s more, Pickett — the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner and first-team All-American in 2021 — met with Steelers brass during their local pro day. Pickett-to-the-Steelers is a popular mock draft pick, and the odds are good he’s there at 20.
Pickett is viewed as the most pro-ready quarterback in the draft.
Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss
The three-year starter in Oxford was second-team All-Conference in 2021 and won the Conerly Trophy as the best college football player in the state of Mississippi.
Matt Corral threw for nearly 6,700 yards and had 49 touchdown passes in his final two years at Ole Miss. He is the No. 32 overall prospect and No. 3 quarterback on the PFN Consensus Big Board.
Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
Sam Howell actually hurt his draft stock by having to return for his junior year. He was significantly better in 2020 (68.1%, 10.3 yards per attempt, 30 touchdowns) than he was in 2021 (62.5%, 8.8, 24). Still, there’s a chance he sneaks into the bottom of the first round.
