If Justin Fields falls in NFL draft, Steelers should catch him

No one yet knows who’ll be catching NFL passes from Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. Should the prodigal passer begin to fall in the NFL draft later this month, the Steelers should play his receiver -- and be there to catch him. Yes, holes in the Steelers’ 2021 roster are great and they are many, as Chuck Noll would say. And while they’ve swung a cap-friendly deal to keep Big Ben Roethlisberger around another season to two, they saw the same Ben who came up so small down the stretch, squandering an 11-0 start. Above all, there’s no bigger position than your franchise quarterback. All indications are Coach Mike Tomlin, glimpsed gushing over Fields at a recent Ohio State pro day, is sold on him as the Steelers’ quarterback for the next 15 years. Conventional wisdom says the Steelers will try to fix its one-dimensional short-pass offense by drafting a running back in the first round. But it’s naïve to think that adding a blue chip running back high in the draft solves all of the Steelers’ ills. The biggest hurdle the Steelers face in enjoying sustained future success is the absence of a franchise quarterback. So if Fields falls toward pick nine or ten, the Steelers, who hold pick 24, will be feverishly working the phones. With a bold stroke, your favorite football team could solve its quarterback quandary for the next decade-and-a-half. All in one fell swoop by catching a falling star in the form of Ohio State standout Justin Fields. Will it happen? If draft history has taught us anything, it’s that anything -- and everything -- can occur. Of course there are a plethora of predictions for what Pittsburgh may do in the draft – and for how Fields will fare. I cover them all in this jampacked edition of the Steelers Update Podcast. So listen up, Steelers’ fans!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices