One mock draft has the Pittsburgh Steelers taking a QB in the opening round

All eyes are on the Pittsburgh Steelers and Aaron Rodgers' situation, but what if he opts to go in another direction? What then shall the team that hails from the Steel City do?

CBS NFL analyst Pete Prisco has one solution: Draft the next franchise quarterback. Without a trade-up, Pittsburgh is likely not getting either Cam Ward of Miami or Shedeur Sanders of Colorado. The third option who has made waves since the NFL Scouting Combine is Ole Miss gunslinger Jaxosn Dart. As Prisco says, regardless of whether Rodgers does sign with the Steelers, they need a long-term plan, and that might be Dart.

What Prisco Says...

It doesn't matter if they get Aaron Rodgers or not, they have to address the quarterback of the future. Dart could watch for a year as he adjusts to the NFL and then take over. Rodgers would be a stop-gap fix anyway. -- Prisco

Dart is a prospect that has really evolved since his freshman season with the USC Trojans and the last three seasons under head coach Lane Kiffin with the Rebels. He was able to limit his turnovers, and that allowed Ole Miss to set a school record with 11 wins in 2023 and followed that up with 10 wins in 2024.

Dart could use a season to sit behind a veteran and learn much as Patrick Mahomes did when he arrived in Kansas City. just because you are drafted in the first round doesn't mean you need to be thrown to the wolves immediately. When it comes to the future, Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson just aren't going to move the needle.

With weapons the likes of George Pickens and DK Metcalf, Dart is a good passer for them. His average depth of target last year was 11.9, per Pro Football Focus. That tied him for the third-highest in college football.

Check out the full mock draft from Prisco.

This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: NFL mock draft: Steelers snag Ole Miss gunslinger Jaxson Dart

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