Early Draft Grade

[WindyCitySteel]

Arch Manning has thrown a grand total of 95 passes in two college seasons. Yet he seems to be a top 3 pick next year by many so called experts. Boggles the mind.

He’s likely not coming out, a couple of the top prospects will have off years and fall (Beck, Ewers, Milroe), and someone will come out of nowhere (Pickett, Burrow, Ward) to be the first QB taken.

2026 mock drafts should be printed and used as kindling.

 

[Fiji Mariner]

Steelers will take a corner in Rd. 1 and draft Haines King in Rd. 2

King in the 2nd?!?!
Good lawd
I like the kids guts but he’s a college QB-doesn’t look like a Pro QB to me

He’s got late round flyer written on him

 

[Fiji Mariner]

Arch Manning has thrown a grand total of 95 passes in two college seasons. Yet he seems to be a top 3 pick next year by many so called experts. Boggles the mind.

Yup
And he’s only a watered down half breed Manning taboot

Looked very average at best in his limited time vs the one team he’s faced that wasn’t an absolute tomato can.

Talk about putting the cart before the horse

 

[Litos]

Yup
And he’s only a watered down half breed Manning taboot

Looked very average at best in his limited time vs the one team he’s faced that wasn’t an absolute tomato can.

Talk about putting the cart before the horse

But does he have the forehead? Head size matters

 

[SteelerFan448]

Yep. College stats and achievements really dont translate to anything in the nfl... pull up various college career leaders or heisman winners and there isnt a great amount of NFL success there... take a look at College championship QBs... they rarely win super bowls.... i mean you have Nameth, Montanna... then what? Career college backup Tom Brady and Hurts, who got benched in the championship and replaced by Tua...

College and tge Pros are just fundamentally different... so its physical and mental traits that get a guy drafted..

This is a reason why I'm out on Allar right now. I don't think he's mentally tough enough.

In the playoffs against Notre Dame, Allar had horrible body language after the defense allows a first down on third and 1 (21:13). He gets the ball back and promptly throws an interception. It actually capped off a relatively poor postseason with lackluster performances in the Big 10 Championship game and playoffs. Big-time players need to step up.

 

[jitter77]

Penn State was a run heavy team with terrible WRs. He averaged just 25 attempts per game. He only had 2 games with 30 or more attempts. JJ McCarthy had 6 games under 200 for Michigan because they were run heavy and he went high in the draft.

NFL teams draft QBs based on physical traits, not stats. This past draft showed that with stat guys like Shedur and McCord going late.

Allar has elite arm talent, he reads defenses better than most and doesn't throw many INTs. he has a 5:1 TD to INT ratio. He also showed he's mobile. Allar had 300 yards rushing last year which is a lot for a pocket passer considering sacks get subtracted from a QBs rushing yards. His 25 season would have to be a disaster not to go in Rd 1.

I guess Allar is kind of like Matt Ryan who turned out ok. I still think it's a gamble on someone who hasn't done it yet, but we will see. I did not think JJ should have been drafted so high either. Manning has done squat so far and it's hyped because of his HS career and name. Of course he has great potential, but just have to prove it

 

[Troglodyte]

LOL at how people allude to addressing the QB position in the draft like it’s any other position.

If a team doesn’t have a top 10 pick, there could be good reason they don’t draft a QB until the mid to late rounds, regardless off need.

 

[TDX27]

With Allar, you have to take into major consideration the O they were running (terrible play calling similar to the Steelers), the terrible OL his first year, and the lack of top targets (other than the TE's) he had to work with. They also had two of the top RB's in the country in the same backfield. He did take a big jump from year 1 to 2 as a starter. As I said in another post, if he takes a similar jump from year 2 to 3, he will easily be in the discussion for the top few QB's in the draft and deservedly so.

 

[WindyCitySteel]

With Allar, you have to take into major consideration the O they were running (terrible play calling similar to the Steelers), the terrible OL his first year, and the lack of top targets (other than the TE's) he had to work with. They also had two of the top RB's in the country in the same backfield. He did take a big jump from year 1 to 2 as a starter. As I said in another post, if he takes a similar jump from year 2 to 3, he will easily be in the discussion for the top few QB's in the draft and deservedly so.

You would think having 2 top RBs would make things easier for the QB. Big year for him for sure and he’s losing Warren.

 

[SteelerFan448]

You would think having 2 top RBs would make things easier for the QB. Big year for him for sure and he’s losing Warren.

If I'm investing a high pick on a QB and want an actual stud, I want a QB who will elevate the talent around him. We saw Ben drag some bad WRs along the way along with the superstars that he played with. Tough to find QBs who can do that.

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

This is a reason why I'm out on Allar right now. I don't think he's mentally tough enough.

In the playoffs against Notre Dame, Allar had horrible body language after the defense allows a first down on third and 1 (21:13). He gets the ball back and promptly throws an interception. It actually capped off a relatively poor postseason with lackluster performances in the Big 10 Championship game and playoffs. Big-time players need to step up.

I'm not seeing the bad body language. After the first down, he looked like every PSU fan at that moment. Then after the INT he was upset. Would you rather he didn't give a ****?

He had a rough game vs Notre Dame because none of his WR could get open. PSU Wrs had 0 catches vs ND.

He didn't have many pass attempts vs SMU and Boise. He had a strong game vs Oregon, lots of big time throws.

The key with Allar is that he improved a lot in his 2nd year.

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

With Allar, you have to take into major consideration the O they were running (terrible play calling similar to the Steelers), the terrible OL his first year, and the lack of top targets (other than the TE's) he had to work with. They also had two of the top RB's in the country in the same backfield. He did take a big jump from year 1 to 2 as a starter. As I said in another post, if he takes a similar jump from year 2 to 3, he will easily be in the discussion for the top few QB's in the draft and deservedly so.

They added 3 transfer WRs and they have a few young redshirts that are promising. They also hired Trace McSorley as an assistant. They already had a good QB coach but I think a guy like McSorley can help Allar to be a bit more aggressive.

They just added a WR from Syracuse who had a ton of receptions last year. He's probably not a 1st round type of guy but he's a good player. Nevermind having an Allan Robinson or Godwin, if they could have had a Parker Washington last year, they would have been in the Championship game.

 

[Steeltime]

agreed. I dont even know how that came out from grades? mini stroke?

 

[Steeltime]

Then what’s the point of an early grade?

Exactly. This is not an early draft grade - we know whom the Steelers selected!

I give the Steelers' 2028 draft a B+. Love the 1st round pick.

Now THAT'S an early draft grade!

 

[Steeltime]

Exactly.
So many tend to make the comment that “we have to wait and see” if the draft lives up to its grade.
How long should we wait? One year? 2? 3?

3

If I get an A in school, but end up doing poorly in the workplace, I still get to keep the A I earned in school.

Right, but your grade is based on how well you did in the class, not how well the teacher thinks you do in the future. Giving draft grades right now is no different than giving classroom grades the 1st second of the first day.

 

[jitter77]

I'm not seeing the bad body language. After the first down, he looked like every PSU fan at that moment. Then after the INT he was upset. Would you rather he didn't give a ****?

He had a rough game vs Notre Dame because none of his WR could get open. PSU Wrs had 0 catches vs ND.

He didn't have many pass attempts vs SMU and Boise. He had a strong game vs Oregon, lots of big time throws.

The key with Allar is that he improved a lot in his 2nd year.

I did not see alot of improvement from allar unless you are counting the year he threw only threw 60 passes. 2024 he had a better completion % but 1 less TD and 6 more Ints than 2023. In 2023 he had 25TDs and only 2 Ints which is pretty impressive.

 

[Steeltime]

hang my diploma?

Pffft, I paid a guy to hang my diploma.

 

[Steeltime]

With Allar, you have to take into major consideration the O they were running (terrible play calling similar to the Steelers), the terrible OL his first year, and the lack of top targets (other than the TE's) he had to work with. They also had two of the top RB's in the country in the same backfield. He did take a big jump from year 1 to 2 as a starter. As I said in another post, if he takes a similar jump from year 2 to 3, he will easily be in the discussion for the top few QB's in the draft and deservedly so.

This ^^^

Who had Cam Ward as the #1 selection in 2025 mock drafts generated in April of 2024? Who had Joe Burrow going as the #1 selection in mock drafts generated April of 2019?

 

[Steeltime]

So here's a 2025 mock generated in 2024:

Early 2025 NFL Mock - Not Even Close

Huh. Cam Ward at 11. Sanders at 6. Georgia QB Carson Beck at 8. Luther Burden III at #3, not the 2nd round. Hey, look at that - the Steelers with an absolute freaking steal nabbing the 27th best player in the draft in round 4!!