The college football and NFL seasons haven\u2019t even kicked off yet, but it\u2019s never too early to shift some attention to the 2026 NFL Draft, which just so happens to be in Pittsburgh next April.<\/p>\n
The Steelers should be in the market for a potential franchise quarterback after going through the 2025 season with 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers \u2014 he turns 42 in December \u2014 under center.<\/p>\n
Though Rodgers wouldn\u2019t entirely rule out it being his last season<\/a> during training camp, chances are the Steelers are going to do everything they can to land a potential franchise QB in the first round. After all, they have a projected 12 draft picks to work with, so they can afford to be aggressive and potentially overpay to move up for their guy.<\/p>\n In the latest mock draft from longtime NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay that published Thursday, the Steelers don\u2019t move up, but they still land a potential franchise QB at No. 15 overall.<\/p>\n That would be Indiana\u2019s Fernando Mendoza, who previously played at Cal.<\/p>\n \u201cAaron Rodgers is a one-year solution, and sixth-round pick Will Howard looks more like a good career backup than the quarterback of the future. Mendoza isn\u2019t there yet, but I saw a lot of positives \u2014 including a snappy release, excellent touch, and a plus arm \u2014 in his tape this summer,\u201d McShay writes regarding the Steelers\u2019 selection of Mendoza<\/a> in his mock draft.<\/p>\n After a summer of tape study and with the college football season just around the corner, @McShay13<\/a> is back to debut his \u201cappropriately early\u201d 2026 Mock Draft. Subscribe (for free) to The McShay Report to read:https:\/\/t.co\/5hS0Rr3SFZ<\/a><\/p>\n