It feels like a foregone conclusion that if Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers doesn’t re-sign in the offseason, Pittsburgh will use either its first or second-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft to try to replace him. It seems that there is little to no consensus about this quarterback class, with some players who were at the top in the preseason tumbling and others moving up.
In this latest mock draft from The Draft Network, Jaime Eisner threw a new name into the hat for the Steelers as a first-round option at quarterback. He went with USC’s Jayden Maiava with the No. 25 pick and as the fourth quarterback off the board. Here’s what he had to say about the pick:
I’m incredibly intrigued by Jayden Maiava. He makes throws in a game that other college QBs simply don’t—and he does it effortlessly. On top of that, the Lincoln Riley quarterback lineage is a strong track record to bet on. I want to see Maiava continue his solid start, but he recently cracked our Top 100 player rankings, and I believe he deserves first-round consideration. For the Steelers, the need to invest in a young quarterback for the long term is obvious.
It’s hard not to be excited by Maiava in terms of his early film. His arm is amazing and he seems to be coming into his own with his ability to go through progressions and not stick to his first option. His size is elite for an NFL quarterback and while he isn’t a runner by any means, he does a good job moving around in the pocket with his eyes downfield looking to make a throw. He reminds us a lot of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and could definitely be in the mix to be the top quarterback off the board.