The Pittsburgh Steelers' decision to delay selecting a quarterback in the NFL Draft has the potential to pay off in spades.
There was some scattered shock when Pittsburgh spurned Shedeur Sanders, whom it hosted on a top-30 visit and were often connected to, in favor of Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon with its first-round pick at No. 21 overall.
One of his few potential landing spots, Sanders subsequently went unpicked after the Steelers passed on him.
With Miami's Cam Ward (No. 1) and Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart (No. 25) representing the only signal callers chosen on Day 1, there's still several enticing options available at the position in the second and third rounds.
The Cleveland Browns are unofficially on the clock with the No. 33 pick and are a prime Sanders destination after trading the No. 2 overall selection to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a package centered around No. 5 and a 2026 first-rounder.
Assuming he does in fact go there, then all eyes would subsequently be on Louisville's Tyler Shough and Alabama's Jalen Milroe.
Shough, who will turn 26-years-old in September, saw his stock rise exponentially throughout the pre-draft process, and there was even some thought that he'd sneak his way into the tail-end of the first round.
While that scenario didn't come to fruition, he should fly off the board rather early tonight. The New Orleans Saints, who possess the No. 40 pick, could settle on Shough as they seek a potential starter who can fill Derek Carr's shoes should he miss significant time with a shoulder injury.
If both the Browns and Saints end up with quarterbacks, that would suddenly pave the way for the Steelers, who don't own a second-rounder, to land a player like Milroe without having to trade up from No. 83 in the third round in order to do so.
He has a ways to go before he's ready to take meaningful snaps, but his blend of athleticism and arm strength makes him such a tantalizing prospect who could fit Arthur Smith's offense to a tee.
Milroe met with the Steelers at his Pro Day, so there's some form of interest there. The organization could also take their time developing him behind Mason Rudolph and perhaps Aaron Rodgers so as to not ruin his confidence in what would become a redshirt year of sorts for the 22-year-old.
Even if Milroe goes to the Browns or Saints, Pittsburgh would still potentially have either Shough or Sanders to choose from without much of a threat from any other teams.
The draft is wholly unpredictable, and maybe the Las Vegas Raiders or Los Angeles Rams end up taking a chance on one of those guys, but the Steelers' road towards landing a top rookie quarterback on Day 2 appears rather clear as of now.
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