Considering the fact that the widely agreed upon top five quarterbacks of the 2021 NFL Draft class could very well come off the board within the first 10 to 15 picks, it may not be the best year for the Pittsburgh Steelers to look for Ben Roethlisberger's eventual replacement unless they want to trade up. Otherwise, they would probably have to take a quarterback with either the No. 24 or No. 55 pick, their first two selections, and if the top five guys have already been snagged at that point, it might not be worth the investment.
...or is it? What if the top five quarterback prospects aren't as clear-cut as we might assume? What if one of Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Trey Lance and Mac Jones doesn't belong in that group in the eyes of the Steelers front office? That might just be the case, according to a couple of very established NFL reporters, including Audacy Sports NFL insider Jason La Canfora, and some of the voices of 93.7 The Fan.
Is it realistic to expect Trask to drop to the second round of the draft? Yep — in fact, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com projects that he will be a second-round selection, perhaps due to the fact that he's a somewhat developmental prospect or because QB-needy teams will be satiated after the first round of signal-callers come off the board. And if the Steelers do get their hands on him, what can be expected? Here are some experts' breakdowns of Trask:
— Zierlien: "Trask clearly has the arm strength, touch and placement to wear out one-on-one coverage if he has good protection and above-average players around him, but he's not going to elevate an offense with his talent alone... it's hard to find evidence of him being able to play chess at this point against what NFL defenses are likely to show him."
— Jordan Reid, The Draft Network: "A decisive and quick operator, he’s a highly intelligent thrower that often attacks with a plan... in order to reach/see his full potential, he will need to have an adequate play-caller, protection, and playmakers around him... Developmental QB that could lead to being an eventual lower-tier starter."
In both cases, a strong supporting cast is mentioned as a key element, and the Steelers seem to have just that. A pass-catching corps consisting of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, James Washington and Eric Ebron — in addition to a frequent link to RB Najee Harris in the first round of the draft — means that the offense is loaded with talent. The developmental aspect of Trask's profile also seems to fit the Steelers' timeline, considering that he'll have a veteran leader in Big Ben that can show him the ropes and eventually hand over the keys if all goes well.
Trask finished with 4,283 yards, 43 touchdowns and 8 interceptions in the 2020 season, which are undoubtedly impressive numbers. However, one should also remember that he played with the potential Hall of Fame talent that is Kyle Pitts at tight end, as well as dangerous Swiss army knife Kadarius Toney, both of whom will likely be first-round selections on Thursday night.
And, if you were curious about an NFL comparison to Trask, you don't need to look too far. Audacy Sports NFL insider Ross Tucker provided us with an interesting look at who he might look like as an NFL quarterback, which may or may not be what Steelers fans want to hear.
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