Steelers Have Spent Years Studying 2027 QB Class

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler mentions the Steelers have already spent years studying quarterback prospects expected to potentially be available in a vaunted 2027 class. 

He adds a few executives around the league are already watching Pittsburgh as a team that could get aggressive to trade up in the draft next year. 

Since Ben Roethlisberger‘s retirement, the Steelers have struggled to settle on another long-term answer. They took Kenny Pickett in the first round but that didn’t work out, and others like Justin Fields, Mason Rudolph, Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers have been temporary band-aids. 

This year, the Steelers probably will get Rodgers for another season, though he has yet to commit to a contract with the team. Pittsburgh would resort to either Rudolph or 2025 sixth-rounder Will Howard if Rodgers didn’t return. Third-round QB Drew Allar is being viewed as purely a developmental option at this stage. 

The need for a long-term solution is clear. While much will be determined by the upcoming collegiate season, the 2027 class already stands out because of the sheer number of players getting credible first-round buzz.

Texas QB Arch Manning, Oregon QB Dante Moore and South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers are just a few of the candidates mentioned by Fowler, with the potential for others like Notre Dame QB C.J. Carr to rise over the coming months. 

“After the trade deadline [in early November 2026] is when things will really start to pivot,” an NFC executive said. “By then, you’ll have a feel for which quarterbacks will emerge as primary options atop the draft, and teams will understand where they are in their trajectory.”

Manning, 21, is the son of Cooper Manning and the nephew of Peyton Manning and Eli Manning. He was a consensus five-star recruit when he committed to Texas. 

Durins his three-year career with the Longhorns, Manning has appeared in 24 games and completed 62.4 percent of his 465 pass attempts for 3,911 yards, 33 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions. He’s also rushed 111 times for 359 yards and 12 touchdowns. 

Sellers, 20, was the 2024 SEC Freshman of the Year and was also a freshman All-American. He was also named third-team All-SEC.

In three years with South Carolina, Sellers has appeared in 27 games and made 24 starts, posting a record of 12-12. He has thrown for 5,057 yards and completed 378 of his 596 passing attempts with a completion percentage of 63.4 percent. To go along with 33 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions, Sellers has also rushed 320 times for 995 yards (3.1 YPC) and 13 touchdowns.

Moore, 20, was a top-ranked recruit who initially committed to UCLA. After an up-and-down freshman year, he transferred to Oregon, earning the starting job in his second year with the program. 

In 2025, Moore started 15 games for the Ducks and completed 71.8 percent of his pass attempts for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He added 73 carries for 156 yards and two more touchdowns. 

We’ll have more on the 2027 draft class as the news is available.