Drummer looking to learn stringed instruments.

What do you call the guy who hangs out with the musicians in the band?
The drummer

Anyway, I think it would be helpful, but there is a lot of differences between a banjo, a mandolin and a guitar. I would just get the instrument you want to play and go for it.

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I have an interest in non-typical stringed instruments like banjo, steel guitar, mandolin, slide guitar, etc.

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Your chord shapes are going to vary among these instruments, as are the techniques used - banjo is all fingerpicking, for example, mandolin is all strumming, slide guitar (lap or pedal steel) are really a unique discipline, particularly pedal steel.

I was a drummer a long time ago, too. I suspect that it would be easier to transition directly to either bass (other half of rhythm section, so you kind of already subconsciously know the part in your head) or, pedal steel, because of the 4 limb independence.

But, pedal steel consoles are pricey.

Let me ask it this way, which one do you think you would enjoy the most?

One of my bucket list items is to learn the violin. I'm a drummer by trade, but have made money with guitar, bass, and keys at some point in the last decade.

If I were you, I'd pick up an acoustic and learn a few chords GACD will get you far. I learned in high school by playing a song that I liked. I looked up the tabs and figured out how to play the chords. Took a while, but it worked. The first song I remember playing from start to finish without using the tabs was "Maggie May".

Also, I found it beneficial to learn the "bass note" chart (I don't know what it's actually called). Learn the note values up and down the neck and it will help you down the road.

I'm sure that some actual guitar player will come in here and debunk all of this.

Start with the banjo, if you do Ok with that, the rest of those instruments will be easy.
The right hand patterns on banjo are pretty difficult, and will also help you be a really good fingerstyle player on guitar.
A banjo tunes similarly to the bottom 4 strings of a guitar, with the exception of the bottom string of the banjo is 1 full step lower(but you can tune it the same if you want). The top string of the banjo is usually just used as a root note and can be changed with a sliding capo, or hooks.