Whenever a team drafts a quarterback in the first round, it goes without saying that the intention is for him to be the future of the franchise. You simply don’t draft a quarterback—or really just about any position—in the first round without having a pretty clear idea in mind about that player being very important, likely for a long period of time. But it’s especially the case for the quarterback position.
Being the future and being the present, however, are separate conversations. The Pittsburgh Steelers were the only team this draft to use a first-round pick on a quarterback, that being Kenny Pickett, but not before signing Mitch Trubisky in free agency.