The Too Early 2018 QB talk

[Shawn]

Yeah yeah...way too early Shawn, lets focus on winning a SB first. Ok, with that out of the way, I wanted to discuss QBs, as I think if a quality NFL falls to the Steelers they draft one in the first round. The three realistic QBs who could fall to the Steelers...

1) Lamar Jackson- I truly love this kid. I think he is a dynamic playmaker who has unfairly shouldered most of the UL O. He is an amazing athlete, huge arm and reminds me of Michael Vick. The Steelers fall over themselves to the podium to draft him if he falls the Steelers.

2) Baker Mayfield-Overrated passer with an average arm, poor footwork and a bad attitude. Reminds me of a lesser athletic version of Manziel with all the baggage. IMO, he is a third round prosect who has some upside if he can mature. I would stay away.

3) Drew Lock-I think this guy has serious upside. Big arm, pocket presence and has the tools to make all the throws. He is raw, needs to imrove on accuracy. Reminds me a bit of Jay Cutler. If he falls to the second, I say take the chance.

Thoughts

[williar]

I would draft Baker Mayfield in a heartbeat! No, he does not have all of the "measurables" but he is a winner! He carries that OU team on his back, with a terrible defense... The Johnny Maziel comparisons don't scare me at all - they're about the same size, that's it!

[Oviedo]

Yeah yeah...way too early Shawn, lets focus on winning a SB first. Ok, with that out of the way, I wanted to discuss QBs, as I think if a quality NFL falls to the Steelers they draft one in the first round. The three realistic QBs who could fall to the Steelers...

1) Lamar Jackson- I truly love this kid. I think he is a dynamic playmaker who has unfairly shouldered most of the UL O. He is an amazing athlete, huge arm and reminds me of Michael Vick. The Steelers fall over themselves to the podium to draft him if he falls the Steelers.

2) Baker Mayfield-Overrated passer with an average arm, poor footwork and a bad attitude. Reminds me of a lesser athletic version of Manziel with all the baggage. IMO, he is a third round prosect who has some upside if he can mature. I would stay away.

3) Drew Lock-I think this guy has serious upside. Big arm, pocket presence and has the tools to make all the throws. He is raw, needs to imrove on accuracy. Reminds me a bit of Jay Cutler. If he falls to the second, I say take the chance.

Thoughts

Jackson--relies too much on his legs to make plays. Bails out of the pocket too quickly

Mayfield--boom or bust. He becomes Drew Brees or Jamarcus Russell. He needs to come to a team like the Steelers with an established where you can work with him for a couple of years

Don't know much about Locke, but I do like Mason Rudolph who I think you work with for a year or two and will be very good.

[K Train]

Yeah yeah...way too early Shawn, lets focus on winning a SB first. Ok, with that out of the way, I wanted to discuss QBs, as I think if a quality NFL falls to the Steelers they draft one in the first round. The three realistic QBs who could fall to the Steelers...

1) Lamar Jackson- I truly love this kid. I think he is a dynamic playmaker who has unfairly shouldered most of the UL O. He is an amazing athlete, huge arm and reminds me of Michael Vick. The Steelers fall over themselves to the podium to draft him if he falls the Steelers.

2) Baker Mayfield-Overrated passer with an average arm, poor footwork and a bad attitude. Reminds me of a lesser athletic version of Manziel with all the baggage. IMO, he is a third round prosect who has some upside if he can mature. I would stay away.

3) Drew Lock-I think this guy has serious upside. Big arm, pocket presence and has the tools to make all the throws. He is raw, needs to imrove on accuracy. Reminds me a bit of Jay Cutler. If he falls to the second, I say take the chance.

Thoughts

Really disagree on mayfield. The Manziel comparisons are absurd. His attitude is more like Philip Rivers than it is johnny football. He is a fiery competitor, has a definite cockiness to him but thats not always a bad thing. Manziel had issues way beyond being cocky. I think/thought manziel had some decent arm talent, but he had the physique of a 15 year old boy and had a real "dont care" attitude when it came to the game...substance abuse aside he was more interested in being famous than football.

Mayfield has great arm talent, not the strongest arm but he can sling it and his accuracy is tremendous. He could be comparable to Russell Wilson or Tony Romo i think. He clearly isnt the ideal size, but he is talented and is a good athlete. Thing is, Romo undrafted, wilson a 3rd round pick...tough to fall into a trap just because of favorable comparisons. late second or early third seems like a good place for him. He is, without a doubt in my mind a better prospect than so many other guys weve seen go that high. Hindsight is always 20/20 but i am honest about how i felt about guys when they were drafted. If this were 2011 he would be firmly in the first round imo behind Cam and Locker and ahead of Gabbert, Ponder, Dalton, and Kaep.

This year, however...Darnold, Rosen, and Allen are pretty clearly the more favorable prospects. After that its definitely upside plays (as it usually is when you are taking a QB at the end of the first to the 3rd round). Most guys taken in this range are looked at as potential starters or even potential superstars but generally hoped to be at the very least the dreaded game manager or even a career backup. Looking at all the starting QBs in the league you have:

21 teams having a first round starting QB (counting Luck, Watson, Wentz...etc)
5 in the second round
6 in the 3rd or beyond

In the last decade there have been at least 9, probably more that have invested multiple firsts or a first and a 2nd/3rd round pick in a QB.

Browns (Quinn, Weeden, Manziel, Kizer)
Broncos (Lynch, Brockweiler)
Titans (Locker, Mariota)
Panthers (Cam, Clausen)
Jaguars (Gabbert, Bortles)
Rams (Bradford, Goff)
Vikings (Ponder, Bridgewater)
Jets (Geno, Hackenberg)
Bucs (Winston, Glennon)

Just kind shows how hard it can be when stability at the position leaves you...which to my original point will probably drive mayfield up the rankings.

Right now I have 2018 QB rankings like this:

1. Sam Darnold, USC
2. Josh Rosen, UCLA
3. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
4. Josh Allen, Wyoming
5. Luke Falk, Washington State
6. Lamar Jackson, Louisville
7. Drew Lock, Mizzou
8. Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State

Subject to change greatly over the next few months....but theres no doubt there will be a TON of conversations regarding Mayfield and Jackson and where exactly they should go.

[squidkid]

jackson cant throw. he should switch positions in the nfl

[Slapstick]

All of the top QBs have weaknesses...Jackson’s weaknesses are no greater or lesser than the others...his strengths are comparable as well...

[Sugar]

I was actually telling friends that I would LOVE to see Baker Mayfield in a Steelers uniform. I'm not seeing the downsides you are. In fact, his "planting the flag" at the Shoe was one of my favorite sports moments of 2017. He's a scrapper and a fiery competitor and he would be a great addition to the team.

[williar]

I was actually telling friends that I would LOVE to see Baker Mayfield in a Steelers uniform. I'm not seeing the downsides you are. In fact, his "planting the flag" at the Shoe was one of my favorite sports moments of 2017. He's a scrapper and a fiery competitor and he would be a great addition to the team.

+1 Sign me up as well! I love everything that I have seen from this kid. Yeah, I like them 6'4" 220lbs as well, but if you know how to play, move the ball and score touchdowns that is good enough for me. He has that edge and he is a winner. You can't say that for the rest of them. I don't know what people are seeing in Sam Darnold. If he's a good QB then my eyes are badly deceiving me.

[K Train]

+1 Sign me up as well! I love everything that I have seen from this kid. Yeah, I like them 6'4" 220lbs as well, but if you know how to play, move the ball and score touchdowns that is good enough for me. He has that edge and he is a winner. You can't say that for the rest of them. I don't know what people are seeing in Sam Darnold. If he's a good QB then my eyes are badly deceiving me.

Darnold is a great prospect. Hes not the first highly touted QB prospect that has had questions regarding his decision making. Its not a great question to have, but its not a kiss of death either. I like him more than Rosen...but im not going to spend too much time nitpicking on who is better between the likely #1 and #2 picks.

[feltdizz]

Not in love with any of these 3 guys. Lamar is ok but his passing skills aren’t too hot.

Baker can ball, a little small tho but I don’t think he is a Johnny football. Just a trash talker.

I’m not there yet so I can’t talk about my picks until after the season.

[Iron City Inc.]

Shawn good thread but I must admit I have not looked at qb's for 2018 draft yet. You know I will. However are we thinking that 7 is heading for the sunset after this year or if he plays 1 more how does that change what we do on draft day?

[feltdizz]

Darnold is a great prospect. Hes not the first highly touted QB prospect that has had questions regarding his decision making. Its not a great question to have, but its not a kiss of death either. I like him more than Rosen...but im not going to spend too much time nitpicking on who is better between the likely #1 and #2 picks.

someone said Darnold is the white Jameis Winston. LOL.

His decision making king is head scratching at times.

[The Man of Steel]

If Ben retires after the season you try and sign Kirk Cousins.

[Ernie]

If Ben retires after the season you try and sign Kirk Cousins.

Ive always wondered about this, but at what cost? I know the Steelers really liked him out of college...and I'm thinking the feeling is mutual. He is the FA QB darling headed into the offseason. Sadly, im thinking he's going to be the highest paid player in the league next year.

[Ernie]

Shawn good thread but I must admit I have not looked at qb's for 2018 draft yet. You know I will. However are we thinking that 7 is heading for the sunset after this year or if he plays 1 more how does that change what we do on draft day?

Whether Ben leaves now, or in a year, I don't think the philosophy changes. If "Our QB" is there, I think we take him.