The Pittsburgh Steelers will enter the 2026 NFL Draft with some important questions, however they may have loads of alternatives to reply them.
The Steelers are set to have a league-high 12 choices on this 12 months’s draft. That will embrace 5 top-100 choices, a quantity buoyed by the workforce’s three third-round picks.
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Pittsburgh’s bevy of draft belongings will enable it not solely to plug its main holes alongside the offensive line and at receiver, but in addition so as to add some younger expertise to function eventual successors to its veteran defensive abilities.
Of course, the workforce can even contemplate drafting a quarterback. The expectation stays that Aaron Rodgers will return for yet another season, but when he does not re-sign, including a high signal-caller to problem Will Howard for the beginning job will shortly turn out to be the workforce’s high precedence.
Here’s a have a look at how the Steelers might use all 12 of their choices within the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.
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Pittsburgh Steelers 7-round mock draft
Round 1, Pick 21: OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Broderick Jones hasn’t panned out because the Steelers hoped since they chose him within the first spherical of the 2023 NFL Draft. The 6-5. 311-pound blocker graded 66th amongst 84 certified tackles final season, per Pro Football Focus, after committing six penalties and permitting one sack throughout 632 snaps final season.
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Proctor could be a high-upside substitute for Jones, who’s coming into the ultimate 12 months of his contract in 2026. The 20-year-old has nice motion expertise and an enormous 6-7, 352-pound body that would enable him to blossom right into a formidable left sort out.
Round 2, Pick 53: WR Zachariah Branch, Georgia
The Steelers traded for Michael Pittman Jr., who will pencil in as a flexible No. 2 receiver throughout from DK Metcalf, however including a fast separator and field-stretching deep menace could be smart.
Branch is undersized at 5-10, 180 kilos, however he’s an explosive playmaker who needs to be a big-play menace out of the slot and as a kick returner. Rodgers would love with the ability to hit the Georgia product with fast screens and slants – ought to he return to the Steelers for one more season.
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Round 3, Pick 76: DT Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State
Cameron Heyward remains to be taking part in at an All-Pro degree, however it’s honest to marvel simply how for much longer the soon-to-be 37-year-old will be capable of do this. Adding a successor to him and a long-term associate for Derrick Harmon needs to be excessive on Pittsburgh’s listing of priorities throughout the draft.
Jackson has nice dimension at 6-6, 315 kilos with an enormous wingspan and arms, however must hone his approach to seek out constant success on the subsequent degree. Doing so behind Heyward throughout his rookie season might be a perfect choice for each events.
Round 3, Pick 85: LB Deontae Lawson, Alabama
Patrick Queen endured a troublesome 2025 season, because the Steelers’ high linebacker missed 31 tackles and allowed a 115.5 passer score in protection, per Pro Football Focus. Pittsburgh could also be keen to put in writing that off as a one-year blip on the radar, however including insurance coverage behind the 26-year-old as he enters the ultimate 12 months of his contract could be clever.
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Lawson is an excellent sideline-to-sideline athlete who might emerge as a star if he can enhance his play recognition and instincts. He was a three-year starter at Alabama and a two-time workforce captain, traits the Steelers will surely worth whereas contemplating him as a mid-round choice.
Round 3, Pick 99: QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Rodgers might return to the Steelers for the 2026 NFL season, but when he does, it should possible be the 42-year-old’s final season. With that in thoughts, Pittsburgh might contemplate including one other younger quarterback to affix Howard – a 2025 sixth-round choose – behind Rodgers.
Nussmeier has the instruments wanted to develop right into a starter, as he has an NFL-caliber arm and stable mobility. He additionally comes with a gunslinger mentality that noticed him put the ball in hurt’s approach a bit too typically throughout his time at LSU.
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If Nussmeier can clear up that difficulty and get wholesome after being hampered by a core damage in his remaining collegiate season, he ought to discover success within the NFL. Learning behind and from Rodgers might go a good distance towards serving to Nussmeier – who’s the son of New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier – attain his full potential.
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Round 4, Pick 121: G Billy Schrauth, Notre Dame
The Steelers misplaced Isaac Seumalo to the Arizona Cardinals in free company. They could also be keen to let Spencer Anderson and Brock Hoffman battle to switch him, however including a mid-round choose to affix the competitors must also be on the desk.
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Schrauth (6-5, 310 kilos) was a two-year starter and workforce captain at Notre Dame. He has good play energy and expertise at each guard spots, two elements that would assist him shortly turn out to be a stable starter on the NFL degree.
Round 4, Pick 135: RB Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
Kenneth Gainwell signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after main the Steelers with 73 receptions in 2025. Pittsburgh signed Rico Dowdle to assist substitute Gainwell, however it will nonetheless be clever for the workforce so as to add one other pass-catching choice to affix Dowdle, Jaylen Warren and 2025 third-round choose Kaleb Johnson within the workforce’s backfield rotation.
Singleton was a prolific pass-catcher at Penn State, racking up 102 receptions for 987 yards and 9 touchdowns throughout 4 seasons with the Nittany Lions. He additionally posted two 1,000-yard seasons as a rusher, so his manufacturing, alongside along with his dimension (6-0, 219 kilos) and explosiveness, might make him a enjoyable addition to Mike McCarthy’s roster.
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Round 5, Pick 161: CB Ephesians Prysock, Washington
Prysock is one other athletic participant the Steelers might goal for depth functions. The 6-3, 196-pound cornerback carried out effectively on the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, blazing the 40-yard sprint in 4.45 seconds whereas logging a 39-inch vertical bounce and a 10-4 broad bounce.
Prysock additionally posted stable manufacturing throughout his 4 school seasons at Arizona and Washington, totaling 20 cross defenses and two interceptions. He could be a perfect developmental backup for the Steelers.
Round 6, Pick 216: WR J. Michael Sturdivant, Florida
Sturdivant by no means fairly lived as much as the potential he displayed at California in 2022, when he posted 65 catches for 755 yards and 7 touchdowns. That mentioned, he has wonderful athleticism for his 6-3, 207-pound body and might be molded into a top quality outdoors receiver in time on the NFL degree.
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Double-dipping at receiver would not be a shocking transfer for Pittsburgh, as its depth past Metcalf and Pittman is shaky. Sturdivant is a a lot completely different receiver than the Steelers’ second-round choose on this mock, Branch, and could be a top quality understudy for Metcalf.
Round 7, Pick 224: S Robert Spears-Jennings, Oklahoma
Spears-Jennings turned heads by blazing the 40-yard sprint in 4.32 seconds on the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. That pace might assist make him a big-time asset on particular groups early in his profession as he continues to hone the abilities he developed at security throughout his two seasons as a starter at Oklahoma.
Round 7, Pick 230: TE Matthew Hibner, SMU
The Steelers launched Jonnu Smith, who was a part of Pittsburgh’s three-headed rotation at tight finish, forward of free company. They additionally misplaced their H-back – a task that mixes the duties of a good finish and full again – Connor Heyward to the Las Vegas Raiders and will stand so as to add a substitute for his well-rounded talent set.
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Hibner (6-4, 251 kilos) logged 55 catches for 804 yards and eight touchdowns throughout his two seasons at SMU. He’s on the older facet at 24, however the Steelers will not thoughts if he can carve out a task as a third-string tight finish and H-back.
Round 7, Pick 237: DT Nick Barrett, South Carolina
Keeanu Benton is a free agent after the 2026 NFL season. The Steelers would most likely prefer to hold him, however including organizational depth at nostril sort out would supply them with insurance coverage in case they cannot.
Barrett is a 6-3, 312-pound house eater who might be a stable follow squad stash behind Benton and Yahya Black.
This article initially appeared on USA TODAY: Steelers 2026 NFL mock draft: Pittsburgh builds up offense, lands QB