Todd McShay has the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt with the No. 13 overall pick in his latest 2027 NFL mock draft, arguing the team may still need a long-term starter one year after drafting Drew Allar.
The Ringer analyst posted the updated projection this week as the 2026 college football season entered its second week and the Steelers are set to play their second game under new coach Mike McCarthy.
Pittsburgh spent a third-round pick, No. 76 overall, on Allar out of Penn State in April. The 6-foot-5, 228-pound passer has not appeared in a regular season game while sitting behind Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers, in his 22nd NFL season at age 42, has said repeatedly that 2026 will be his last year. That leaves Pittsburgh with a looming vacancy at the position after McCarthy’s first season.
McShay shared a dynamic description of what Leavitt brings to the field.
“Leavitt is an electric creator with a live arm, dynamic mobility, and the confidence to attempt throws most quarterbacks won’t consider. He can turn chaos into explosive plays, but too often he creates that chaos himself by drifting away from structure. If he becomes more disciplined without losing his natural playmaking instincts, his ceiling will be extremely high.”
He then addressed the Steelers’ current young quarterback directly.
“I’m not sold on Drew Allar as the long-term answer in Pittsburgh, and Mike McCarthy’s West Coast system can give Leavitt more defined rhythm throws while teaching him when to take the profit and when to unleash the playmaker.”
Steelers quarterbacks coach Tom Arth offered a more optimistic assessment after the draft, saying Allar has a “very high ceiling” and an effortless arm that can make every throw on the field.
Allar completed 633 of 1,002 passes for 7,402 yards and 61 touchdowns with a 1.3 percent interception rate over four seasons at Penn State. He started 35 games and went 26-9 as a starter. His best year came in 2024, when he completed 262 of 394 passes for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Leavitt, a 6-foot-2, 216-pound junior who transferred to LSU from Arizona State, has completed 41 of 66 passes for 574 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions through two games. He has added 135 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns on 23 carries.
LSU is 2-0 after a 51-10 win over Clemson and a 45-14 victory against Louisiana Tech. Against Louisiana Tech, Leavitt threw for 344 yards and one touchdown but was intercepted three times. He also ran for three scores.
The Tigers listed Leavitt as doubtful for Saturday’s game at No. 8 Ole Miss because of soreness in his throwing shoulder. He was limited in practice this week.
Leavitt missed a 2024 game at Arizona State with a rib injury. In 2025 he sat out against Utah with a foot injury, left the Houston game twice and later had season-ending surgery.
McShay assigned Leavitt a 91 grade and treated him as a first-round talent if he becomes more consistent within structure. Pittsburgh opened the McCarthy era with a 20-13 win over Atlanta last Sunday and plays at New England this weekend.
The mock draft is one early snapshot of a 2027 class already viewed as quarterback-heavy. Allar still has the rest of this season and next year’s offseason to change the evaluation.
