Ben Roethlisberger and Sean Payton made it official last week; the former is retiring after an 18-year career and the latter is stepping away from the game at least for the 2022 season. Both teams are now in the market for their next franchise quarterback and both teams could find him in the draft. New Orleans has the 18th selection and Pittsburgh will be on the clock two picks later, and this week, we have both targeting passers.
The Saints have a lot of salary cap math to get into the black but they have a solid offensive line, Alvin Kamara and possibly Michael Thomas, not to mention one of the NFC’s best defenses. Put another way: There are worse destinations for a rookie QB. The Steelers’ offensive line is a work in progress but it’s one of the most stable organizations in the league. And unlike the Saints, Pittsburgh — for the first time in a long time — has cap space to work with. So in addition to plugging holes up front, there will be opportunities to add depth in free agency on the other side of the ball, too.
Meanwhile, six edge rushers are among the first 32 picks, and if your team doesn’t get one on Day 1, don’t worry; this is a deep group and there will be opportunities to land difference-makers in later rounds, too. For now, keep reading to see which QBs end up in New Orleans and Pittsburgh, as well as how the other 30 selections unfold.
