The Pittsburgh Steelers are riding high on top of the AFC North behind the play and leadership of Aaron Rodgers, but what does the future hold at the quarterback position beyond the 2025 NFL season?
The Steelers basically punted on drafted a quarterback of the future in the 2025 NFL Draft. They passed up on QB prospects like Jaxson Dart and Shedeur Sanders and instead went the route of Rodgers, who didn’t sign till after the draft. Although the Steelers did select Ohio State product Will Howard in the sixth round, it appears the current leaders of the AFC North are looking to dip into the talent pool of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Now, depending on where the Steelers select in the draft, there will be some interesting names and arms who have the capability of stepping in and starting right away if Rodgers does it a career following the 2025 NFL season. One of those young quarterbacks is a prospect not getting a ton of attention, perhaps until now.
Steelers land big arm QB prospect with No. 15 overall pick
With the No. 15 overall pick in the draft, CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson has USC quarterback Jayden Maiava landing with the Steelers in his latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft. At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, Maiava is a “big arm” quarterback with the confidence to at least compete for the QB1 role in 2026 for the Steelers.
Is he a better option than the QB prospects who will still be on the board according to this mock draft? As far as the play of current QB prospects, the answer is yes.
Wilson writes:
“Jayden Maiava plays with poise and confidence and thrives in the pocket, where he'll consistently get through progressions and deliver tight-window throws with both anticipation and touch. He can make accurate, layered throws to all levels of the field, shows escapability under pressure and can create plays out of structure. At 6-foot-4, Maiava has a big arm, and he'll use it to exploit coverage mismatches on intermediate and downfield throws.”
With 1,587 yards passing with 15 touchdowns and just 1 interception, Maiava is raising his NFL Draft stock and positioning himself as one of the top talented arms in the draft. Given his patience and athleticism in the pocket, he is an intriguing fit for the Steelers given his ability to zip the ball into tight spaces and get the ball downfield. The question is whether he is a mid-first round pick as predicted by Wilson in this NFL Mock Draft?
NFL Mocks lands Oregon prospect in Pittsburgh
Another quarterback making his name known early in the college football season is Oregon’s Dante Moore. Based on their current record and draft position, NFL Mock’s has the Steelers going with Moore with the No. 27 overall pick. Like Maiava, Moore is an athletic quarterback with deep ball talent who would be fun to watch in the Steelers’ offense, especially with D.K Metcalf on the field.
Although Moore could be long gone by the time the Steelers select, the QB depth expected in the 2026 NFL Draft will give teams in need of a quarterback plenty of opportunity to select a guy. The Steelers will be one of those teams and if it is either Maiava or Moore, they will be a team in a good position in 2026 and beyond. The big question will be whether they select and find the player who is in the best position to succeed sooner rather than later.