COMMIT NEWS: Steelers Land Next Franchise Quarterback in Latest Mock Draft
PITTSBURGH — The Steelers’ long search for a post-Aaron Rodgers answer at quarterback has produced plenty of speculation and very little clarity. But in the latest wave of 2027 NFL mock drafts, a familiar name has emerged as Pittsburgh’s potential savior: Arch Manning.
In a mock draft simulation published this week by A to Z Sports, the Steelers selected the Texas quarterback with the 27th overall pick, projecting a scenario in which Manning declares for the 2027 draft and lands in Pittsburgh as the heir apparent to Rodgers .
“We’re pretending he declares. And if Manning does enter the 2027 NFL Draft, this is a pretty interesting landing spot,” wrote Joe DeLeone and Ryan Roberts. “Pittsburgh has consistently been searching for its next long-term answer at quarterback, and Manning would give the franchise a potential centerpiece for the future” .
The fit, at least on paper, is compelling. Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy carries a reputation as a quarterback developer, and pairing him with a Manning—grandson of Archie, nephew of Peyton and Eli—would represent the most significant investment in the position since Ben Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 season .
The Case for Manning
Manning’s 2025 season at Texas was a study in trajectory. He finished with 2,942 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while leading the Longhorns to a 9-3 record, adding 244 rushing yards and eight scores on the ground . The early struggles were real, but so was the late-season growth—389 yards and four touchdowns against Arkansas, followed by 328 yards and three scores in a win over Vanderbilt .
That development prompted Texas coach Steve Sarkisian to endorse Manning’s decision to return for another year rather than enter the 2026 draft.
“I would think he’s going to want another year of that growth to put himself in position for hopefully a long career in the NFL,” Sarkisian said. “He’s got some unfinished business of what he came here to do” .
The gamble is obvious. Manning remains a projection—a player with elite pedigree and flashes of high-level play, but not yet a finished product. Mocking him to Pittsburgh at No. 27 is a bet on ceiling, not certainty.
The Problem With the Premise
There is a significant caveat buried in the A to Z Sports exercise: Manning has not announced whether he will declare. And the broader 2027 quarterback class is far less settled than it appeared a year ago.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler currently ranks Drew Mestemaker of Oklahoma State as his QB1 for 2027, citing the 6-foot-4, 210-pound transfer’s arm talent, mobility, and poise against pressure . Mel Kiper Jr. has similarly elevated Mestemaker to the top of his quarterback board, praising his ability to scan the field and his 44 completions of 20-plus yards, most in FBS .
Notre Dame’s CJ Carr has also surged into the first-round conversation, with Brugler describing him as “21 going on 31” from a football-mind perspective . Miami’s Darian Mensah has produced video-game numbers—15 touchdowns, zero interceptions—while questions about his arm strength linger .
Manning, by contrast, sits fourth in Brugler’s latest ranking, with the analyst noting that “he also hasn’t developed at the pace NFL teams hoped” . The gap between Manning’s reputation and his current production is the central tension of this mock draft.
What the Steelers Actually Have
The mock draft also raises an uncomfortable question for Pittsburgh’s current roster: what about Drew Allar and Will Howard?
The Steelers selected Allar in the third round of the 2026 draft and kept four quarterbacks on the initial roster—Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Howard, and Allar—a rarity that general manager Omar Khan defended at the time . McCarthy spoke glowingly of the room in May.
“We’ve definitely got four that we love,” McCarthy said. “You always have to develop the room” .
But McCarthy also acknowledged a hierarchy: “Will is ahead of Drew, just based on the fact that he’s been here” . Neither has taken a regular-season snap. The Steelers’ decision to draft Allar at all suggested they were not fully convinced Howard was the answer. Mocking a quarterback to Pittsburgh in the first round suggests the organization may not be convinced about either.
The Verdict
Is Arch Manning to Pittsburgh at No. 27 a franchise-altering move? It is, at minimum, a fascinating thought experiment.
The Steelers have spent years cycling through veteran reclamation projects—Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Rodgers—without a playoff win since 2016 . At some point, the carousel has to stop. Manning represents the kind of high-upside swing a team in Pittsburgh’s position should consider, especially if McCarthy remains the coach tasked with developing him.
But a mock draft in November is not a commitment. Manning has not declared. His stock is volatile. And the Steelers’ own evaluation of Allar and Howard—two players already in the building—will shape whether they spend a first-round pick on a quarterback at all.
For now, the Steelers have Rodgers for one final season, a 5-2 record, and a future that remains stubbornly unresolved. Arch Manning is one answer. He is not yet the answer.
Up Next: The Steelers return from their bye week with an AFC North matchup looming, while the 2027 draft conversation will only intensify as Manning and the Longhorns close out their season.
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