PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) - Sure, all eyes will be on every snap Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett take during Steelers Training Camp practices starting on Wednesday. Keep your eyes on them, grade every throw, every bootleg, every scramble, their feet, their hands. Overanalyze all of it. It's finally the time where their reps will matter as to who will be the next Steelers starting quarterback, or at least the one to start the 2022 opener.
When you are done watching those two, don't put your head in your phone or go seek a picture with Steely McBeam at St. Vincent College. What might really decide the quarterback depth chart is the seventh rounder you may have forgotten about.
Chris Oladokun, the team's final draft pick, will likely be taking the last reps of drills. He is the key to who stays in the quarterback room.
Not saying the 6'2", 195-pounder out of South Dakota State has a chance to start or even play in a game this year. But his development and the performance of Mason Rudolph will give the coaches a decision to make at the end of camp.
He was the third-to-last quarterback taken in the 2022 Draft, probably as much for where he played than anything else. The Missouri Valley Conference doesn't have a rich history of NFL quarterbacks with Carson Wentz being the recent notable. He is coming off a three-thousand-yard season completing 62% of his passes with 25 touchdowns to seven interceptions. Oladokun combined for three touchdowns in a 19-point win at FBS Colorado State. In the FCS national semi-final game, he threw for 315 yards at Montana State and was the only quarterback to beat national champion North Dakota State.
If he can show competence, improvement, just at some level he belongs, he makes Rudolph expendable. Especially if Mason struggles at all in camp.
Trubisky is going to start based on what we've seen so far. Can't believe they would make their first-round pick a third-stringer. It's a different era even from when Ben Roethlisberger came in as a rookie (began as third-string before Charlie Batch injury). Now early picks dress for games, meaning they are at least the back-up QB. Looking at the first-round picks over the last three years in their rookie seasons:
2021
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Trevor Lawrence-Jags-started all 17 games
Zach Wilson-Jets-started 13 games, knee injury
Trey Lance-49ers-started 2 games, active for every other
Justin Fields-Bears-started 10 games, ankle injury
Mac Jones-Patriots-started all 17 games
2020
Joe Burrow-Bengals-started 10 games, knee injury
Tua Taovailoa-Dolphins-started 9, thumb injuryJustin Herbert-Chargers-15 starts, active other game
Jordan Love-Packers-back-up QB, did not play
2019
Kyler Murray-Cardinals-16 starts
Daniel Jones-Giants-13 starts, neck injury
Forget about Pickett being in street clothes during games. Barring an injury, it comes down to keeping a fourth-year QB with 17 games (10 starts) of NFL experience as a third-string luxury or seeing enough growth to keep a rookie.
Another factor to consider.
Playing quarterback at three different schools, Oladokun has learned the read-option offense (University of South Florida), an air-raid system (Samford) and most recently the pro-style with huddling and long verbiage (South Dakota State). He can play a variety of roles as the Steelers scout team quarterback which would in essence make him more valuable to the entire team.
As you watch all of these reps, keep an eye on the other two quarterbacks. That could be a more intriguing roster battle than who starts.
