Steelers Mock Draft Monday: Head vs Heart edition

What I think PIT will do

First round

As we mentioned up top, the Steelers have selected a pre-draft visitor in the first round in every draft so far under Omar Khan. There is speculation that could change with Mike Tomlin’s departure, but I don’t think that was purely a Mike Tomlin preference. After all, Tomlin was around for much longer than Khan has been making the picks for the Steelers, and this wasn’t as notable a trend previously. While I think in the Steelers heart of hearts, they’re hoping for one of Olaivavega Ioane or Spencer Fano to fall to them, I also believe both will be long gone by pick 21 and that the Steelers will stand pat and decline to trade up. That leaves Pittsburgh picking between three other visitors: safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, wide receiver Denzel Boston, and cornerback Chris Johnson. There is rarely a consensus on positional ranks in the draft community, but McNeil-Warren seems to offer the top value of those three, and has the highest ADP in mock drafts and consensus boards. Depending on team preferences around the league, McNeil-Warren is seen as either the second or third-best safety in the class. Meanwhile, Boston is reportedly ranked anywhere from WR3 to WR6 on teams’ big boards. Chris Johnson mirrors a similar range for cornerbacks, though I believe most teams view him far closer to CB3 than CB6. There are a handful of safety-needy teams (Minnesota, Dallas) ahead of the Steelers, but they seemingly would prefer a deep/post safety like Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman. If that’s the case, McNeil-Warren could fall right into the Steelers lap. His ability to play near the line of scrimmage, in the slot, split safety, and deep safety would give defensive coordinator Patrick Graham a versatile player whose got a penchant for creating turnovers. McNeil-Warren has mastered the “peanut punch” to force fumbles, with 11 forced fumbles in his college career and 16 turnovers overall.

Day 2

• Pick 2.53 – WR Germie Bernard, Alabama
• Pick 3.76 – CB Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State
• Pick 3.85 – DT Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State
• Pick 3.99 – QB Drew Allar, Penn State The Steelers cover a lot of needs with these picks. Wide receiver is among the most glaring, and after passing on a pass catcher with their top pick, the Steelers pull a move typical of both the team and new head coach Mike McCarthy’s history, and take one in the second round. Bernard can play all three positions, creates after the catch, is not shy to block in the run game or downfield for his teammates, and was brought in for a pre-draft visit. He’s one of my favorite fits for the team. The Steelers have also been doing plenty of work with the cornerback class during pre-draft visits, bringing in both nickel and outside options. Igbinosun is a tall, long-limbed press corner who has 4.45 speed and who delivers hard hits as a tackler for his position. He wasn’t brought in for a pre-draft visit, but not all of the Steelers picks will be. Assistant general manager Andy Weidl and scout Jim Ward were in attendance at Ohio State’s Pro Day, so I wouldn’t write any Buckeyes off the Steelers’ board. Jackson Jr. was another pre-draft visitor and reminds me a lot of Joshua Farmer, a pre-draft visitor from Florida State just a year ago. Both players possess incredibly long arms, but Jackson doesn’t quite have the pass-rushing upside and penetrating skill that Farmer had. Rather, he’s a much better run stuffer, which is frankly what Pittsburgh needs more of at this moment. Lastly, the Steelers have brought in just about every quarterback not named Fernando Mendoza for a pre-draft visit, indicating there is heavy interest in draft one this year. While I don’t personally care for Drew Allar as a prospect, he checks a lot of boxes. McCarthy was quoted this draft cycle as saying he looks for big quarterbacks with long arms and big hands, and Allar certainly fits the bill. It’s also not hard to picture McCarthy envisioning a way to hone Allar’s big, explosive arm power into a more consistent player than he was in college.

Day 3

• 4.135 – G Beau Stephens, Iowa
• Trade – PIT sends 4.121 to WAS / receives 5.147, 6.187, 2027 7th
• 5.147 – TE Marlin Klein, Michigan
• 5.161 – WR Kendrick Law, Kentucky
• 6.187 – OT JC Davis, Illinois
• 6.216 – LB Jaden Dugger, Louisiana
• 7.224 – CB Avery Smith, Toledo
• 7.230 – DT James Thompson Jr., Illinois
• 7.237 – TE Carsen Ryan, BYU Guard remained the biggest glaring need after the first two nights of the draft. There were guards who tempted me in previous rounds, but Pittsburgh stays patient and selects Iowa’s Beau Stephens in the fourth. Pittsburgh found a starter in Mason McCormick in the fourth round in recent years, and with Spencer Anderson and Brock Hoffman already in-house, they can look to solidify other areas of weakness of the roster first, and still end up with a potential starter. The 121 pick, coming in round four, ended up being a strange spot where all the top players on the board were not necessarily scheme fits or areas of weakness for Pittsburgh. I took this opportunity to predict a trade back, something Khan loves to do. Washington sends us two picks in this draft and a late 2027 pick, which Khan can use for future trades if he wishes. With the rest of the picks, the Steelers select a few more pre-draft visitors — Klein, Law, Thompson Jr., and Pittsburgh native Dugger —to cover needs at tight end, receiver/returner, slot corner, tackle, and add depth to the linebackers and defensive line. Here is the “Using our Head” draft recapped:

  

What I want PIT to do

First round

I’m fairly certain that blue-chip guard Olaivavega Ioane has little shot of falling to 21 in reality. The Dolphins could be looking to build the trenches at pick 11. The Ravens seem destined to select him at pick 14 if he falls to them. The Buccaneers have a sneaky need at guard. And there are at least five other teams behind the Steelers who could theoretically try to leapfrog Pittsburgh if the Steelers don’t move up themselves: the Chargers, Bills, Niners, Texans, and Dolphins again, should they go a different position at pick 11. But this is the mock draft where we’re letting our hearts and our greatest desires lead the way. We’re projecting some positivity into the universe and acknowledging that sometimes talented players do fall further than expected. With that in mind, the dream scenario is that Pittsburgh finds itself on the clock at pick 21 with Ioane still on the board. Khan’s patience has paid off. He gets the player they covet, and they didn’t have to surrender any resources to do so. Ioane immediately changes the identity and potential of the Steelers’ offensive line. As a hard-nosed guard who takes no prisoners and relishes putting opponents face down in the dirt, this is the type of pick that can transform the demeanor of an entire unit, if Ioane is even half as awesome as we think he could be. Fans who wanted a top receiver might be disappointed by the pick, but the majority of the Steelers’ fanbase would come away from Night 1 excited to add a certified butt-kicker on offense. Knowing this helps both the current quarterback — whether that’s Aaron Rodgers, Will Howard, or an incoming rookie — and sets up the future starting quarterback for success whenever he arrives, makes this pick a no-brainer.

Day 2

• 2.53 – WR Germie Bernard, Alabama
• 3rd rnd – OT Travis Burke, Memphis OR Markel Bell, Miami
• 3rd rnd – NCB Treydan Stukes, Arizona (or Malik Muhammad, Texas)
• 3rd rnd – LB Keyshaun Elliott, Arizona State I touched on Bernard in the first draft of this article. Turns out he’s the perfect blend of logical pick for the Steelers, and the type of player I would be thrilled to see the Steelers add. The rest of our Day 2 selections are a nice mix of needs and talent. The Steelers have brought in two mid-round tackles for pre-draft visits and seem likely to take at least one tackle in this draft. Both Burke and Bell are preferable to me over any of the later options at the position, so my heart is earmarking a third-round pick to select one of them. I lean towards Burke, who has a little more “bully” to his game, but he was also one of the most popular pre-draft visit requests in the NFL, meaning there will be plenty of competition to get him. If he ends up going higher than mock simulators are projecting, Bell is a good second option and, by all accounts, a smart player. Considering that I believe the previously mentioned tackles will go a little higher, there’s a chance the player I want most at nickel corner from this class is off the board. Treydan Stukes, out of Arizona, is a uniquely gifted mover and matchup on defense. He was also one of the Steelers’ scheduled pre-draft visitors. I’ve read and heard plenty of media reports speculating that he could go as early as the second round with his skillset. Still, he’s got some red flags in his profile that have dragged down the draft stock of plenty of talented players before him. For one, he’ll turn 25 during his rookie season. For another, there was a 2024 knee injury that caused Stukes to miss games early in the 2025 season. While those risks might be a little too pricey for me to want to gamble on in the second round, but at some point, his talent becomes too much to deny, and the talent outweighs the risks. In our dream scenario, Stuke falls to the middle of the third round and the Steelers scoop him up. However, I’ll add that if, in reality, Stukes is gone long before then, Muhammad is a player they brought in for a pre-draft visit who should be available around this pick. Muhammad played mostly outside in college, but he has some nickel experience, and his size (5’11, 190 pounds at his Pro Day) could point towards a nickel role in the NFL. Finally, on Day 2, Keyshaun Elliot is a favorite of mine who would be insurance at linebacker for when Patrick Queen’s contract ends, and if continues to struggle against the run. Elliott is a run stuffer who has shown flashes in pass coverage, but still needs to work to improve his knowledge of spacing in these routes. Elliott wore the green dot at Arizona State — meaning Elliott had a radio to get calls from the coaching staff and was responsible for communicating with and organizing the defense on the field — and was ranked as LB8 and a third-round talent in Dane Brugler’s draft guide, “The Beast.” The secret might be out in NFL circles more than it is on social media, so in a draft where we’re following my heart, we’re scooping up Elliott to end Day 2.

Day 3

Through the first two days in this mock, the Steelers have addressed needs at guard, receiver, offensive tackle, slot corner, and an off-ball linebacker. As they head into the final day of the draft, they should still consider adding: another receiver, a blocking tight end, outside corner, safety, defensive line, and an edge-linebacker. With eight picks remaining, they could use all of their picks and double up on a few positions, or then trade picks to get the players they covet at those positions. I will still make each pick, but I think we should assume that Khan will make a trade somewhere on Day 3. History indicates he’s more likely to trade back, which could be a way for the Steelers to snag some mid-round and/or late-round picks from the 2027 draft. Here’s the picks:

• Fourth round – LB/EDGE Jaishawn Barham, Michigan
• Fourth round – DT Tyler Onyedim, Texas A&M
• Fifth round – S VJ Payne, Kansas State
• Fifth round\* — CB Julian Neal, Arkansas
• Sixth round – QB Cole Payton, North Dakota State
• Sixth round\* – WR Kendrick Law, Kentucky
• Seventh round – TE Will Kacmarek, Ohio State
• Seventh round – WR Vinny Anthony II, Wisconsin \* extra pick acquired in theoretical trade Edge is a position that Steelers fans might not think is a huge need, but one that could become one if T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith continue to struggle with injuries. Nick Herbig is also entering the final year of his rookie deal and is expected to have a huge market in free agency should Pittsburgh fail to re-sign him. There are also rumors that the Steelers could trade one of their edge rushers ahead of or during the draft, though I’m highly skeptical of that one. Enter Barham, a hybrid player who is a physical run stuffer at off-ball linebacker, but who has also flashed explosive potential as a pass rusher in his limited edge snaps in college. Having selected Elliott previously, I’m leaning into that pass rush potential, but it’s nice that he has the ability against the run from the off-ball position to fall back on if he doesn’t progress enough as an edge. I remain convinced that Onyedim is a player the league will draft higher than consensus mocks and draft simulators have projected. When he was given a third-round grade in Brugler’s “The Beast,” I felt a tinge of validation. In our “Heart” mock, we’ll go lower than Brugler’s optimism, but still draft him far earlier on Day 3 than I’m seeing in mock simulators. A penetrating three-technique, Onyedim is a set of fresh legs and juice for the line. You can never have enough horses in the trenches. While there’s a real chance the Steelers take Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in the first round, as indicated in our “Head” draft, I actually like VJ Payne as a similar archetype of player (go-go-gadget-armed enforcer) who can be had at a cheaper value. Rounding out the rest of the picks, Neal gives the Steelers another tall, press corner for the outside. Payton was among the many pre-draft quarterback visitors the Steelers hosted, and he’s the developmental project I’d most like to take a chance on when considering the combination of skillset and cost. Law and Kacmarek were both visitors as well. Law is a twitchy but unpolished receiver and return specialist, who primarily was a gadget player at Alabama before transferring to Kentucky. Once with the Wildcats, Law’s role was expanded, but he’s still not a polished route runner and works best as an underneath target who can create yards after the catch. That just might work with Rodgers, should he return to the team like we expect. Kacmarek is one of the better blocking tight ends in the class. He has good hands and was clocked at over 18 mph at the Senior Bowl, but he doesn’t separate well or create much after the catch. He would fit in great as a third tight end for jumbo packages and 12 personnel deployment. Anthony rounds out my draft as another player I liked from the Senior Bowl. He would compete with Law for kick return duties, and I think he’s a more polished receiver as well. Anthony fits the mold of a player who can do a little bit of everything, but isn’t necessarily elite in any one trait that pops off the screen. He scored on receiving, rushing, and kick return touchdowns in 2025, demonstrating this versatility. He’s incredibly agile, posting a 6.68-second 3-Cone drill time, which would be 89th percentile for all wide receivers, though his 4.54 in the 40-yard dash is unspectacular. Finally summary: