The Pittsburgh Steelers are standing at a crossroads. Thanks to the growing uncertainty over their certified crown jewel, Russell Willson. After missing the start of the 2024 season due to injury, Wilson started 11 regular-season games for the Steelers, completing 63.7% of his passes for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions. As the season came to an end with a playoff defeat to the Ravens, Wilson’s future with the Steelers looked more uncertain than ever. Rumors started to run rampant, suggesting Mike Tomlin is inclined to put Justin Fields under center. Before the debate could get settled, another potential threat to Wilson emerged in the lore. That new threat comes via the 2025 NFL Draft.

No matter which of the QBs (between Justin Fields and Wilson Russell) of the previous season will get lucky to be in the mix for the offseason, Tomlin won’t stop to pursue some safe side signal callers at the draft. Early this offseason, the Steelers appear to be exploring a lot of options ideal for their QB room, staging some great homework on the incoming class behind center. The active effort to win in the draft class included a couple of meetings with Missouri quarterback Brady Cook.

Cook started three seasons at Missouri. NFL Draft Buzz put him on a real pedestal and dubbed him “a stalwart” in the SEC. This won’t seem like an overstatement if you look at his numbers. With 9,251 passing yards in college, Cook rushed for 1,262 yards at Missouri. He racked up 71 total touchdowns, including 21 on the ground. And if you still aren’t convinced that he is worthy enough to catch the attention of the NFL teams, you should watch him perform at Indianópolis during the NFL combine day. Cook significantly buoyed his draft stock, mounting an RAS score at No. 33 of the 989 quarterbacks graded since 1987. A pure can’t-miss for the attentive Steelers scouts!

The St. Louis native’s trademark jump was an inch shy of Anthony Richardson’s record for quarterbacks, per Eric Edholm. Each of his 40-yard dash, 10-yard split, vertical jump, broad jump, 3-cone drill, and 20-yard shuttle times set the fastest record for any quarterback in history.

But can he impress the Steelers or see himself as a starter of any renowned team in the next couple of years? A question that needs some strategic reevaluation of his career path so far.

Brady Cook had a rags-to-riches story in his roller-coaster football career

When it comes to the draft, no position is more difficult to judge than the quarterback. It demands a lot of close monitoring and a minute and balanced judgment of a variety of factors. Apart from the other physical measurements, Hook turns heads in his throws as well, with some of the analysts being head over heels for his speed and accuracy. He seemed extremely confident in every throw.

So far, there is no reason any team can decline him as a potential starter of their squad, depending upon their respective needs. No quarterback could improve their stock more than a previously projected day 3 pick. Cook’s epic and flawless showdown this weekend made it hard for fans to believe he once severely struggled with accuracy.

Yes, he did. The path to excellence isn’t an overnight flick but an earned prize through years of hustle. Cook’s history isn’t very clean. He became the Missouri Tigers’ starting quarterback in 2022 but couldn’t do much with a severe inability to read defenses and poor arm talent. However, he worked hard and flipped the script in 2023, leading the squad to a 10-3 record and a Cotton Bowl victory. 2024 came off as a banger, taking him to the cusp of a William V. Campbell trophy despite some injury horror on the road.

No doubt that Cook is a helluva athlete when it comes to toughness and leadership. So, the Steelers might be on the greener side of the grass if they choose to go with him to replace Russell Wilson after a lot of back and forth.