The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t on the clock, but they are arguably the team to watch on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
After making a controversial pivot and selecting offensive tackle Max Iheanachor with their first-round pick Thursday, the Steelers are expected in the final six rounds to address a hole at quarterback, regardless of whether Aaron Rodgers returns to the Steel City.
The good news for Pittsburgh is that there are plenty of quarterbacks left on the board, and they shouldn’t have too much competition if they want to grab their guy Friday evening during Rounds 2 or 3.
Although Pittsburgh doesn’t pick again until No. 53, most of the teams ahead of them in the pecking order have other needs to fill ahead of what would likely be their No. 2 quarterback.
That means the Steelers could have their choice between any of the remaining signal-callers, a group that is headlined by LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and Miami’s Carson Beck.
Both quarterbacks have polarizing profiles.
As for Nussmeier, he’s seen his draft stock fall considerably in the last calendar year.
Had the 24-year-old left LSU after the 2024 campaign, he could have been a first-round pick. Instead, he returned to Baton Rouge as one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy and put up middling numbers.
By season’s end, Nussmeier was passed by Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson as prospects.
Still, there is the allure of what Nussmeier was projected to be before a turbulent season in TigerLand. If 2025 ends up as a write-off due to a rough final year under soon-to-be-fired Brian Kelly, then whoever gets Nussmeier could have a gem on their hands.
Oddsmakers at FanDuel think the Steelers and Arizona Cardinals, who own the 34th pick, are the likeliest suitors for Nussmeier at +430 odds.
The New Orleans Saints, who employ Nussmeier’s father, Doug, as offensive coordinator, are +750.
Beck’s path to the draft has also been full of twists and turns.
The 23-year-old looked like he was going to be the toast of the town for the Georgia Bulldogs after a terrific 2023 campaign with Georgia, but his form dipped the next season, leading to him finding a new home at the University of Miami.
Beck guided the Hurricanes to the national title game, but he was more of a cog in the machine than a game-breaker for Miami.
A year ago, Beck was thought to lag behind Nussmeier as a prospect, but he’s now the clear favorite at Kalshi to be the third quarterback selected in this draft.
Thus, it’s no surprise that the Cardinals, who were rumored to be hot and heavy after Simpson before the Rams took him, are the favorites to land Beck.
FanDuel has Arizona’s odds at +250, and the Steelers are the second-savorites at +500.
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
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