Steelers: 1 trade, 1 signing and 1 draft pick to replace Ben Roethlisberger

Free Agent Signing: Jameis Winston

When it comes to the upcoming free agency class for quarterbacks, it is far from the strongest. Looking at the list of available signal callers, Jameis Winston stands out above the rest, given his play in 2021.

Winston successfully won the starting quarterback job for the New Orleans Saints this season and became the successor to the retired Drew Brees. He got off to a great start, throwing five touchdowns in a 38-3 win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 1. He continued his solid play throughout each start, up until he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This season, Winston threw for 1,170 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions (59.0 completion percentage).

Winston is the top quarterback available in free agency if the Steelers are interested.

NFL Draft Pick: Kenny Pickett

Much like in free agency, the 2022 draft class of quarterbacks is a far cry from the 2021 class that featured Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones and Justin Fields. When it comes to the top signal-caller coming out of college, the consensus is that it will be Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett.

This season, Pickett put his name out there with his stellar play and the fact that he broke Pitt Panthers legend Dan Marino’s all-time passing touchdowns record with 81. Oh, and he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.

Through 13 games in 2021, Pickett completed 67.2-percent of his passes for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Overall, Pickett accumulated 12,303 passing yards and 81 passing touchdowns in his five seasons.

Bringing in Pickett makes sense for the Steelers, considering he played his home games at Heinz Field. But, given that the Steelers will be picking in the middle of the first round, they will have to trade up to get him. Pickett may very well be worth moving up for.