4 QBs Steelers can acquire without trading away a first-round pick

3. Steelers can take a flier on Jets' Zach Wilson

Should the Steelers do this? I don't know, probably not. Not every former top-pick flameout is a gold mine of talent waiting for the right excavator. Pittsburgh is intimately familiar with one Mitchell Trubisky. That said... Zach Wilson is a former No. 2 pick, he does have a lot of natural athleticism, and last season was an improvement compared to seasons past. It's worth a thought.

The expected going price for Wilson is a whopping sixth or seventh-round pick, so it hardly qualifies as a risk. If the Steelers want to pit Pickett against another young, upwardly mobile QB with legitimate starting experience, Wilson is certainly on a similar level. Pickett has been better to date, to be clear. But, Wilson brings enough mobility and arm strength to at least make the comparison interesting.

Last season was an outright disaster for Wilson on the surface. He was benched multiple times and he withered under the scrutiny inherent to his position. Playing in New York is tough. Pittsburgh isn't all sunshine and rainbows, but it's better than being unexpectedly tasked to replace Aaron Rodgers four plays into the legend's Jets career. New York fans were finally out of the Wilson business, only to be violently returned to that very sad frame of mind. He was destined to fail.

Wilson completed 60.1 percent of his passes last season (a career-high) for 2,271 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions (a career-low). Wilson had never notched more touchdowns than interceptions before. Baby steps!

This move would be poorly received in Pittsburgh and the Steelers probably shouldn't do it, but the price is low. Maybe it's low enough to merit one last earnest attempt at the Zach Wilson experience. Mike Tomlin has never finished below .500, so — immovable object, meet unstoppable force. Let's see what happens.