The Pittsburgh Steelers need a franchise quarterback once Ben Roethlisberger decides to hang it up. There could be a great choice in the upcoming draft, Oklahoma Sooners' Jalen Hurts.
There are better quarterbacks in this draft class, yes, but the Steelers don't have a first-round draft pick this upcoming season because they sent their's away to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick. To trade into the early parts of the first round to get a quarterback would require a haul of draft picks. That may not be something the Steelers will want to do.
When most think of Hurts, all the talk is about his legs, but he has improved on his passing with the Oklahoma Sooners. Heading into the Sooners college football playoff game against the LSU Tigers, he has thrown for 3,634 yards, 32 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The legs are also still a threat as he has rushed for 1,255 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. recently projected that Hurts would be a fourth or fifth-round draft pick.
“I think he’s developing into that, and nobody ever thought that he would be based on what we saw,” Kiper said, per 247 Sports. “But the development started two years ago at Alabama. He looked like a different quarterback than what he was. It’s not just what’s happened at Oklahoma with Lincoln (Riley), who’s done a great job no question. He is a quarterback whisperer. He is a great offensive mind. But I think it started under Nick Saban at Alabama there. When you look at where Jalen is right now at Oklahoma, he could end up being a fourth- or fifth-round pick. Not early but day three is where somebody brings him into the fold.”
Some other draft experts have Hurt's going higher, maybe even in the second or third round. It's hard to imagine that Hurts would fall farther than the fifth round. The Steelers do own two fourth-round draft picks, so maybe one of those could be used on the Sooners standout.
Having Mike Tomlin as his coach would be the best-case scenario for Hurts. Tomlin is one of the best at adapting game-planning to the players he has, and there is no doubt they could create the perfect offense that plays to his strengths.
The Steelers have some significant concerns about what to do after Big Ben is done, but if they draft Hurts, those questions could be answered.
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