2026 NFL Mock Draft: Pittsburgh Steelers select edge defender

Q: Who is Keldric Faulk and what position does he play?

Keldric Faulk is an edge defender from Auburn University, known for his strong defensive skills.

Q: What are the Pittsburgh Steelers' primary needs in the 2026 NFL Draft?

The Steelers are looking to fill gaps in offensive linemen, cornerbacks, wide receivers, safeties, and defensive ends.

Q: How many draft picks do the Pittsburgh Steelers have in the 2026 NFL Draft?

The Pittsburgh Steelers currently have 12 draft picks for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Q: What challenges are the Steelers facing in the 2026 NFL Draft regarding trades?

The Steelers are reportedly unable to trade up or down in the draft, which limits their ability to maneuver for additional picks.

Auburn Tigers defensive lineman Keldric Faulk (15) celebrates a stop as Auburn Tigers take on California Golden Bears at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn

“Mr. Goodell, you’re saying we can’t trade back? Whh—what? Why is that, Sir? It’s definitely not too late. Sir? What do you mean? You wouldn’t let us trade up either when we wanted… Okay. I protest. I…this is an official protest to tha…to that…ruling. Yes, yes. No, I don’t see. Yes, I understand what you’re saying—I am a Tulane graduate, Sir. Uh huh. Well, we were looking to add more picks. I know we have 12, but we have some serious holes to fill. We need an offensive lineman, corner, wide receiver, safety, defensive end, line… Fine. But I…hello? Rog—Commissioner? Hello? Are you…”

[End of phone call]

“Hello? Are we on? You weren’t filming the conversation, were you? Okay, good. Let’s edit this out and start…NOW! Well, hello! Welcome to Steeler Draft Central. I’m Omar Khan. In a few moments we will be making our first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. Uh, just give me a few minutes to consult with my staff and then I will take you through our draft selection process.”

[3 minutes later]

“Well, um, hello, again. I am pleased to tell you that we’ve submitted our #1 draft pick, which the Commissioner will be reading momentarily. We are very excited to tell you that our pick, number 21, in the 2026 NFL Draft is Keldric Faulk, Defensive End, Auburn. Yes, we are very excited, as I mentioned, to welcome Keldric. Steeler Nation is well aware that we are known for a few solid hallmarks, the top being an imposing defense. We fell a little short of that last season.

“Keldric is a great prospect for us because he will be relentless on our defensive front. He will be a rock against the run, and we’ll be able to line him up in multiple formations. Although his sack numbers were down last season, we strongly believe he will return to putting up impressive sack numbers, as he did in 2024 when primarily lined up at the end or EDGE positions. His size, strength, and versatility are what we will be looking for, and we won’t be afraid to kick him inside when necessary. His long arms are an asset. Patrick—our DC, Patrick Graham—was…this…Keldric is the type of player that Patrick will make the most use of.

“I know we just drafted Derrick Harmon last year, and Derrick will definitely help this defense. He just had a little injury to battle last season. We see Keldric as more of an end/EDGE who can move inside as needed and Derrick as a tackle who can move outside as needed. So, you, see…there’s no comparison. What I mean to say is, they would complement each other—not be competing against each other. Cam—you know, Cam Heyward—our beloved Cam is not getting any younger. He can tutor Keldric on what it means to be a Steeler. TJ Watt, he’s also not getting any younger. He can tutor Keldric about coming off that edge. I know they will be playing different positions, but TJ can be a mentor with Cam.

“I’d be remiss to not talk about the man that Keldric is. It means something important to be a Steeler. We value high-character men, and we know that Keldric will be a fine Steeler Citizen. He will immerse himself into the Pittsburgh community, as he’s done at Auburn. Keldric is a natural leader with a tremendous work ethic. He will fit in well here. And, gosh, he’s still young. We know Keldric is already accomplished, but he also has tremendous upside.”

“Since this footage won’t be shown until sometime after the draft—and because I trust you—I’ll touch briefly on some prospects we were very high on.

“Emmanuel Pregnon. We were very high on him, but he won’t be around when we pick again. Emmanuel is just the type of player we crave to solidify our line. He would have helped us run Steeler brand of football with a strong running game. When I say this guy is like an impenetrable force, I’m really not exaggerating. He would have come here and immediately improved our football team. However, our need on defense was greater by a hair.

“Brandon Cisse is a young man we seriously considered to add to our secondary. We got Jamel Dean this offseason, and we’re high on him, but he is entering his 8th season. Don’t get me wrong—he can play for several more seasons—but…well…anyway… Brandon Cisse is only 20 years old. He’s got good size and fantastic speed. He’s got long arms like Joey—Joey Porter, Jr.—and he’s a little raw but has very good mirroring abilities. If we can move up in the second—or if he falls—we’d love to introduce him to Steeler Nation.

“Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a very solid prospect and, boy, will we need help at the safety position….What I mean is…well… McNeil-Warren has excellent length and a nose for the football.

“Jordyn Tyson…what can I say. This isn’t tampering, right? He just got drafted so it’s not like we can tamper. Freakin’ Miami…The kid has great hands and a great catch radius. He’s versatile. I know Coach—Coach McCarthy—was wetting his…um…was excited? about the possibility of getting his meaty paws on Tyson. He can line up all over the field and while we have Pittman here, I mean, we could really be creative with how we use them and DK. Jordyn is mentally and physically tough. He’s a willing blocker. There’s a lot to like…to really like. At the end of the day, we want to have a disciplined, ferocious defense. And…yeah. “Well, thanks for your time. I hope this gives you a little insight on how we run the ship here. Stay tuned for our other picks. We have 11 more.”