According to Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports, head coach Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers were expected to choose a player in the first round of the mock draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have exchanged their first-round pick for a better pick or an existing player in three of the last five years.Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports contended on December 19 that it might occur once more in 2024.

Wilson recently released a 2024 NFL mock draft in which he predicted the Steelers will take Washington quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Michael Penix Jr. at No. 10, moving up from their current draft spot of No. 16.

Wilson stated on CBS Sports Network, “The Steelers offense feels like it’s coming from the 1850s, not even the 1950s.” “And Michael Penix Jr. is a guy who can throw the deep ball,” the statement reads. And you know what George Pickens and Diontae Johnson like to do? Take a deep breath.

Who knows how this roster will appear offensively in a year? Though a lot is happening in the locker room, Michael Penix Jr. stands out. He’s among college football’s top deep-ball throwers, if not the best.

Wilson persisted in his defense of his prediction that the Steelers will select Penix on X (previously Twitter) and move up in the draft.

“The Steelers traded up to No. 10 for LB Devin Bush back in 2019,” Wilson wrote. “They should absolutely consider trading up at least that high for a QB in April. They need to quit leaning into the mistakes — just admit them and move on.

“Then get a legit OC (turns out, that’s important too!).”

Penix posted back-to-back 4,000-yard passing seasons in 2022 and 2023 at Washington. As a senior this fall, Penix completed 65.9% of his passes for an average of 9.1 yards per attempt with 33 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.

Could the Steelers Draft a First-Round Quarterback?

Wilson isn’t the first NFL pundit to argue the Steelers will be in the quarterback market at draft time. NFL insider Peter King has suggested during two December appearances on The Cook & Joe Show on 93.7 The Fan that the Steelers could grab a quarterback early in the 2024 NFL draft.

“Let me just say this: Kenny Pickett is not your guy if he can’t handle the Steelers selecting a quarterback in the first round. On December 12, King stated, “He just isn’t your guy.” “Therefore, I wouldn’t be afraid to draft a quarterback.”

King did not, however, contend that the Steelers must select a quarterback earlier in the draft in order to select a talented prospect.

“Look, consider this: there are a lot of talented quarterbacks in this draft. Wherever the Steelers choose, there will be one, King stated.

Regarding what the Steelers would need to deliver in order to advance to No. 10, Wilson remained vague. However, the Steelers have recently aided their cause in the draft.

The team’s current three-game losing streak has moved Pittsburgh up the draft board. If the Steelers continue to play poorly, they may not have to trade up to possess a top 10 pick.

Entering Week 16, the Steelers own the No. 16 selection in the first round. The Steelers hold the last pick of the 7-7 non-playoff teams because they have the most difficult strength of schedule.

However, only two losses separate the Steelers and the teams who currently own picks No. 5-9.

Steelers’ Mason Rudolph Auditioning for 2024 Role?

It’s hard to imagine Kenny Pickett not being on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster in 2024, no matter what the team does in the upcoming draft when it comes to quarterbacks. For Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky, it’s a different story.

In Week 15, after Trubisky had another bad start, the Steelers benched him. Despite having two years left on his deal, Trubisky could be cut by the Steelers in 2024 for just a $4.6 million dead cap hit, per Spotrac.

If a quarterback was selected by the Steelers, that would probably be the best course of action.

It may be determined by Rudolph’s performance in Week 16 whether the same thing occurs to him.On December 23, he is expected to make his first start in almost two years.

In March, Rudolph will become a free agent without restrictions. The Steelers may bring him back as a rookie on another one-year contract and as a seasoned sounding board for Pickett if he plays well against the Cincinnati Bengals.

However, the chances of that happening are definitely much lower if Rudolph doesn’t outperform Trubisky this season.

It is obvious that the Steelers will enter the offseason with a lot of questions surrounding their center. However, Wilson’s suggestion to trade up and select one of the best quarterback prospects in the 2024 class is one of the team’s choices.

According to both ESPN and Pro Football Focus’s consensus 2024 draft rankings, Penix is the fifth-best quarterback available in the next draft class.Bleacher Report’s big board has Penix slotted as the seventh-best signal caller in the class.