The facts of a draft @ QB

[hawaiiansteel]

Getting Cookin’

The Steelers are keeping tabs on Missouri quarterback Brady Cook in the pre-draft process.

That’s according to Steelers Depot. The website posted an interview with the Tigers’ alum from the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl in Texas.

“I’ve met with the Steelers twice. I love talking to ‘em,” Cook said to Steelers Depot. “I met with the Panthers twice. I’ve loved talking to them. There has been some good meetings. I met with the Seahawks, and those have stuck out. It’s early on in the process. … We’re just getting to know each other, and we’re talking ball.”

Cook apparently spoke with the Steelers at the Hula Bowl as well. He was a three-year starter at Missouri, posting 9,251 yards and 50 touchdowns. The St. Louis native completed 65.9% of his passes and tossed just 15 interceptions.

ProFootballNetwork’s scouting report labels Cook as a likely NFL backup.

“Cook’s average arm will likely prevent him from ever becoming a full-time starter at the professional level. But outside of his lacking arm talent, he has a decent operational framework. He’s not a great processor, but he has good mechanics and general accuracy, solid pocket management skills, and good discretion as a decision-maker,” the website assessed. “Though he doesn’t have much appeal as a developmental starter, Cook’s athleticism, toughness, leadership ability, and baseline operational traits give him an appealing floor as a potential backup and safety blanket, especially for schemes that value QB rushing ability.”

https://triblive.com/sports/first-call-russell-wilson-to-vegas-may-be-discussed-steelers-speaking-with-missouri-qb/

[NorthCoast]

“Cook’s average arm will likely prevent him from ever becoming a full-time starter at the professional level. But outside of his lacking arm talent,"

Should fit right into the QB room... Fields or Wilson won't be scared and ask for a trade.

[feltdizz]

Why do we like QB’s like this?

[Northern_Blitz]

By who? Names please. I say we resign Joe Flacco for cheap for 1 year and draft a QB in round one or two.

Not sure what names you're looking for Joel. I don't think anyone in this class is going to be an above average starter (the chalk pick I know). Even if you're right about there being a franchise QB and an above average starter in this draft, they probably go in the top 5. And that's a long way for us to move up.

My guess is that we're likely to be worse next year. So moving up should be easier / less expensive.

I think the room next season should probably be Fields, Allen (or some other backup signing), Thompson (or some late pick / off the trash heap guy).

Try to see if Fields can be the man. Odds are against it at this point. But if we can design an offense for him (instead of having him play in the offense for Wilson) maybe he can do something. By all accounts he works hard and his team mates like him. Not anywhere near enough to be successful...but he does have a standout / elite trait.

[NorthCoast]

I'm coming around to the idea that drafting a QB in the remaining Tomlin era would be a wasted pick. The Steelers are not set up to develop and maximize QB talent. That goes back to Noll, who butted heads with Bradshaw, Cowher, who didn't like Roethlisberger's off-script play, and Tomlin, who once told the media;

“Ben Roethlisberger — (when) it’s time for him to move on — Mike Tomlin has told me he doesn’t want to start over with a rookie,” Glazer said. “The Steelers are going to want to go with somebody who is a veteran … The Pittsburgh Steelers, they are going to need a veteran quarterback, obviously, (considering acquiring Rodgers) makes sense.”

[Joel Buchsbaum]

Not sure what names you're looking for Joel. I don't think anyone in this class is going to be an above average starter (the chalk pick I know). Even if you're right about there being a franchise QB and an above average starter in this draft, they probably go in the top 5. And that's a long way for us to move up.

My guess is that we're likely to be worse next year. So moving up should be easier / less expensive.

I think the room next season should probably be Fields, Allen (or some other backup signing), Thompson (or some late pick / off the trash heap guy).

Try to see if Fields can be the man. Odds are against it at this point. But if we can design an offense for him (instead of having him play in the offense for Wilson) maybe he can do something. By all accounts he works hard and his team mates like him. Not anywhere near enough to be successful...but he does have a standout / elite trait.

The names of the web yahoos who say this or that is what I am looking for.

I do think someone in the draft will be an above average top 10-15 NFL QB starter.

Moving up is always expensive on draft capital. I was for moving up to #11 to get Nix, remember?

You and Pappy are two of the best posters here.

-JB

[Northern_Blitz]

The names of the web yahoos who say this or that is what I am looking for.

I do think someone in the draft will be an above average top 10-15 NFL QB starter.

Moving up is always expensive on draft capital. I was for moving up to #11 to get Nix, remember?

You and Pappy are two of the best posters here.

-JB

Seems like general consensus. Maybe 2 QBs with 1st round grades? I think PFF had the highest QB (Ward) as 17 on their big board. Then Sanders mid 2nd? I'm sure QBs will be drafted higher than that though since they are always overdrafted (to sell season ticket to bad teams IMO).

I think you've said similar...maybe 2 QBs with 1st round grades?

If someone is there are 11 or so, I think we should investigate moving up if we really like them.

But if it takes moving into the top 5-7, then I think it will likely be too expensive to move up 16+ spots.

To get one of the top 2 QBs (seems like everything I've heard about the draft are there are 2 worth taking a shot at) I think might mean we'd have to trade into the 2nd overall with CLE. I'm going to assume that TEN and NYG are both going to draft QBs. CLE might also since Watson is pretty terrible now.

I can't imagine CLE wanting to trade with us...imagine if we got our last marquee QB because they took a stupid TE, then we got our next one because they traded out of the 2OA pick back down to 21 (something I think any GM should be fired on the spot for).

Even if 2 QBs don't go in the first 3 picks, do we have fewer than 2 QBs taken before pick 7? TEN, NYG, LVR, NYJ. All of those teams are QB needy IMO.

And there aren't many good options in UFA. And a bad UFA market + a not great QB class seems like a recipe for (1) overdrafting QBs and (2) overpaying UFAs. Kind of the opposite as last year where we could pick up Wilson and Fields for cheap.

This season, Wilson and Fields are probably QB2 and QB3 in the UFA market (so I'm kind of wondering if both want to test the market since they're likely to get overpaid).

And I assume that Darnold won't actually get to UFA. That MIN either tags/extends him. Or they trade his rights prior to the UFA period. But I easily could be wrong. If that happens, then Wilson and Fields are probably QB1 and QB2 if they want to go to UFA.

[Northern_Blitz]

Seems like general consensus. Maybe 2 QBs with 1st round grades? I think PFF had the highest QB (Ward) as 17 on their big board. Then Sanders mid 2nd? I'm sure QBs will be drafted higher than that though since they are always overdrafted (to sell season ticket to bad teams IMO).

I think you've said similar...maybe 2 QBs with 1st round grades?

If someone is there are 11 or so, I think we should investigate moving up if we really like them.

But if it takes moving into the top 5-7, then I think it will likely be too expensive to move up 16+ spots.

To get one of the top 2 QBs (seems like everything I've heard about the draft are there are 2 worth taking a shot at) I think might mean we'd have to trade into the 2nd overall with CLE. I'm going to assume that TEN and NYG are both going to draft QBs. CLE might also since Watson is pretty terrible now.

I can't imagine CLE wanting to trade with us...imagine if we got our last marquee QB because they took a stupid TE, then we got our next one because they traded out of the 2OA pick back down to 21 (something I think any GM should be fired on the spot for).

Even if 2 QBs don't go in the first 3 picks, do we have fewer than 2 QBs taken before pick 7? TEN, NYG, LVR, NYJ. All of those teams are QB needy IMO.

And there aren't many good options in UFA. And a bad UFA market + a not great QB class seems like a recipe for (1) overdrafting QBs and (2) overpaying UFAs. Kind of the opposite as last year where we could pick up Wilson and Fields for cheap.

This season, Wilson and Fields are probably QB2 and QB3 in the UFA market (so I'm kind of wondering if both want to test the market since they're likely to get overpaid).

And I assume that Darnold won't actually get to UFA. That MIN either tags/extends him. Or they trade his rights prior to the UFA period. But I easily could be wrong. If that happens, then Wilson and Fields are probably QB1 and QB2 if they want to go to UFA.

I think you like Walter Football.

https://walterfootball.com/qbrankings2025.php

He has Sanders and Ward in the first.

Then Milroe as somewhere between the 1st and the 3rd. That seems like a pretty hard dropoff to me.

[WindyCitySteel]

BTW, Milroe measured in with hands smaller than Pickett’s today, so if you were hung up on that three years ago, he should be off the board.

TBF, they look rather meaty and strong, and grip strength is what they should be measuring, but yeah.

[Joel Buchsbaum]

Seems like general consensus. Maybe 2 QBs with 1st round grades? I think PFF had the highest QB (Ward) as 17 on their big board. Then Sanders mid 2nd? I'm sure QBs will be drafted higher than that though since they are always overdrafted (to sell season ticket to bad teams IMO).

I think you've said similar...maybe 2 QBs with 1st round grades?

If someone is there are 11 or so, I think we should investigate moving up if we really like them.

But if it takes moving into the top 5-7, then I think it will likely be too expensive to move up 16+ spots.

To get one of the top 2 QBs (seems like everything I've heard about the draft are there are 2 worth taking a shot at) I think might mean we'd have to trade into the 2nd overall with CLE. I'm going to assume that TEN and NYG are both going to draft QBs. CLE might also since Watson is pretty terrible now.

I can't imagine CLE wanting to trade with us...imagine if we got our last marquee QB because they took a stupid TE, then we got our next one because they traded out of the 2OA pick back down to 21 (something I think any GM should be fired on the spot for).

Even if 2 QBs don't go in the first 3 picks, do we have fewer than 2 QBs taken before pick 7? TEN, NYG, LVR, NYJ. All of those teams are QB needy IMO.

And there aren't many good options in UFA. And a bad UFA market + a not great QB class seems like a recipe for (1) overdrafting QBs and (2) overpaying UFAs. Kind of the opposite as last year where we could pick up Wilson and Fields for cheap.

This season, Wilson and Fields are probably QB2 and QB3 in the UFA market (so I'm kind of wondering if both want to test the market since they're likely to get overpaid).

And I assume that Darnold won't actually get to UFA. That MIN either tags/extends him. Or they trade his rights prior to the UFA period. But I easily could be wrong. If that happens, then Wilson and Fields are probably QB1 and QB2 if they want to go to UFA.

Good work, I see three QB;s with 1st round grades. Maybe four will go in round one as they are QB's are drafted higher than their draft grades.

[Joel Buchsbaum]

BTW, Milroe measured in with hands smaller than Pickett’s today, so if you were hung up on that three years ago, he should be off the board.

TBF, they look rather meaty and strong, and grip strength is what they should be measuring, but yeah.

He did? Less than Pickets 8.75 inch hands? Did he fumble a lot? Link please as the Alabama QB is not at the shire bowl.

[WindyCitySteel]

He did? Less than Pickets 8.75 inch hands? Did he fumble a lot? Link please as the Alabama QB is not at the shire bowl.

Smaller, though again, look at pics — they look thick. FYI, he’s at the Senior Bowl. And since he probably has the strongest arm in this class, I’d say it doesn’t affect him. Remember, Mike Vick had 8.5” hands and threw lasers. It’s about grip strength.

https://x.com/seniorbowl/status/1883966459505995931

[Joel Buchsbaum]

Smaller, though again, look at pics — they look thick. FYI, he’s at the Senior Bowl. And since he probably has the strongest arm in this class, I’d say it doesn’t affect him. Remember, Mike Vick had 8.5” hands and threw lasers. It’s about grip strength.

https://x.com/seniorbowl/status/1883966459505995931

Thanks.

Stock down for Milore. His lack of passing yards, combined with his small hands are turn offs. He accounted for 18 turnovers (12 INT 6 fumbles) this year. 6 fumbles? Might his lack of hard size have something to do with it?

He is shorter than advertised too. Next thing you know he won't run a 40! He now has a 4th round grade in my book, but odds are he will go higher than that.

[Northern_Blitz]

Thanks.

Stock down for Milore. His lack of passing yards, combined with his small hands are turn offs. He accounted for 18 turnovers (12 INT 6 fumbles) this year. 6 fumbles? Might his lack of hard size have something to do with it?

He is shorter than advertised too. Next thing you know he won't run a 40! He now has a 4th round grade in my book, but odds are he will go higher than that.

This is the thing I'd be worried about with small hands.

I'd imagine that the scouts are looking over those fumbles to see if they think hand size mattered.

[Joel Buchsbaum]

This is the thing I'd be worried about with small hands.

I'd imagine that the scouts are looking over those fumbles to see if they think hand size mattered.

Right. I am telling you small hands suck for QB's. He fumbled six times last year. I also want to see his wonderlic score if he is willing to take it. 22 or more, he is fine. 17 and under he is not!

I took the test by the way and scored upper green ... a 38.