The Steelers failure to draft Dan Marino with their first-round pick in 1983 conceivably cost them a chance at six Super Bowls; their failure to select Lamar Jackson could be even more costly

… jury still out on Jackson, but 2019 has been special

As I wrote last week, the Steelers made a monumental error when they passed on drafting Dan Marino with their first-round pick in the 1983 NFL Draft [“You took the wrong guy”: Art Rooney, Sr., “The Chief” and founder of the Steelers, on his team passing on Dan Marino in 1983: Could have given them more Super Bowls]

Marino went on to be selected by Don Shula and the Miami Dolphins, where he set the then record for passing yardage with 61,361 yards and 420 TDs.

Marino played in only one Super Bowl in 1984 with the Dolphins, which turned out to be his best season, but he never earned a ring.

Had he played for the Steelers, he could have led them to Super Bowls in 1989 [Bubby Brister et. al.], 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998. That may be optimistic, but they were that close on occasion. Imagine Marino instead of Neil O’Donnell against the Cowboys in 1996.

However, the failure to draft current 2019 MVP candidate Lamar Jackson in 2018 may turn out to be even more challenging for the Steelers to overcome.

2018 Draft: Steelers passed on Jackson with 28th pick

Just like Marino in 1983, NFL teams drafted some less talented QBs ahead of Jackson in 2018. And the Ravens’ retiring GM Ozzie Newsome, an awesome developer of player personnel, played a great role in that.

In 1983, two of those taken before Marino also became hall of fame QBs: Jim Kelly by Buffalo, John Elway by Baltimore Colts [later traded to Denver]; two were absolute busts: Todd Blackledge by the Chiefs and Ken O’Brien by the Jets; and one [Tony Eason by New England], was palatable.

The jury is out on the 2018 picks selected before Jackson: Baker Mayfield was taken first by the Browns overall, but after a promising rookie season, he appears to be a question mark. That is also true for Josh Rosen, taken by the Cardinals but traded away after one season. Josh Rosen has led the Bills to a very good season, and Sam Darnold of the Jets has shown promise.

None, however, are challenging for the MVP in their second season. None are Pro Bowl picks. Only Allen will join Jackson in the playoffs. And the Bills while improved, are not yet contenders.

Jackson was not picked until the 32nd selection after some devious ploys by the Ravens, but the Steelers could have taken him with their 28th pick. 

Ozzie Newsome outsmarted them -- again. 

The Steelers drafted safety Terrell Edmunds, whom most scouts had figured to go in the second or third rounds, with their number 1 pick. He has been decent, but not franchise. 

At the time, they had an aging quarterback who has really not taken great care of himself physically, so why not take a chance on Jackson?

Do not expect logic from the Steeler picks. They needed an inside linebacker in 2018 to replace Ryan Shazier, so they took a safety. They then waited until 2019 to give up a number 1 pick to select ILB Devin Bush, which appears to be a good pick.

Tomlin did not consider Jackson even after interviewing him at Combine

As one writer mentioned last month, Lamar Jackson is now the crown jewel of the 2018 draft. The Steelers could have taken Jackson and let him sit for a year as the Ravens did until they realized that Joe Flacco was over the hill. Roethlisberger this season had a 65 quarterback rating in six quarters before going down. Figure where the Steelers might be right now if they had Jackson -- but that would have taken foresight.

Well, maybe it was the best for Jackson. The Steelers offensive coordinator and offense as a whole are a mess, so he might be playing being the Duck right now. Randy Fichtner has demonstrated that he is not strong in the area of QB development. The Ravens worked hard in the offseason with Jackson to hone his passing skills. 

John Harbaugh is a legitimate Coach of the Year candidate. Mike Tomlin is not.

The result is that the Steelers are faced with a ponderous dilemma. Should they attempt to bring along an undrafted rookie whom nobody wanted in 2019 or a third-round pick in 2018 who looked promising until the Browns did him in during the season?

They should probably trade Roethlisberger and look to the future, whichever way they go. They have given away a slew of top picks for 2019, so they have few options.

Playoffs will determine Jackson’s 2019 legacy

We should not yet crown Lamar Jackson with the MVP for this season before the playoffs are completed. His season is comparable to Patrick Mahones’ second year with the Chiefs last season, though he has not passed for 5,000 yards. 

Jackson has thrown for 2,889 yards and 33 TDs this season with just six interceptions. He has a QB rating of 112.8 right now, completing 2/3 of his passes. He has also been a threat on the ground as he now has an NFL record 1,103 yards, the most by a quarterback in history. So, he has about 4,000 total yards from scrimmage right now, pretty impressive by any standards. 

The Ravens have the Browns and then the Steelers. There is word that he may not play against the Steelers if they have the number 1 seed sewn up, which is likely. However, don't bet on it. He will probably play some against that Steeler defense. 

And fans will once again have to lament how Lamar Jackson seems to be so much like Dan Marino -- one that got away from the Steelers.