With the season officially behind us, we as Yinzers do, in fact, have several things to look forward to despite the everlasting burn of consistent mediocrity.
First thing to look forward to, naturally, is the head coaching search. The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the luxurious position of taking their time with the hire, especially considering two of our highest-profile interviews are with Rams employees who will most likely be busy till Superbowl Sunday. My personal opinions should be fleshed out in a secondary blog, but if you need some head coaching content, I can’t recommend checking out Alex Kozora’s blog post with Steelers Depot enough.
A second reason for optimism in the Steel City is our young core. Despite the clamoring vague X profiles with Steel City Puns laced through their usernames would have you believe, we aren’t some old decrepit team moving forward. We aren’t exactly young, but with a lot of moving parts this offseason, we will most likely bounce back to the average.
Here are all the players above the age of 30 currently rosters on the Pittsburgh Steelers at this exact moment: Rodgers (42), Rudolph (30), Thielen (35 – retired), Valdes-Scantling (31), Jonnu Smith (30), Peat (32), Seumalo (32), Heyward (36), Watt (31), Ramsey (31), Clark (30) and Peppers (30).
Personally, without much looking into their specific situations, I’d be floored if anyone other than Rudolph, Watt, and Heyward were back next year.
On the other end of the age spectrum, we have several cornerstone players at significantly young ages (keep in mind I myself am 33). Howard (24), Gainwell (26), Warren (27), Metcalf (28), Freiermuth (27), Frazier (24), Fautanu (25), McCormick (25), Black (23), Benton (24), Harmon (22!), Sawyer (23) and Poerter Jr. (25) are all pieces we should be proud to have.
The third reason to be excited is that this year the Pittsburgh Steelers are hosting the NFL Draft, a draft that may be the most crucial to date with a brand new coach on his way into the Steel City. Some of the positions I would naturally assume we’d address right now are WR, QB, LB, OT, DB, and naturally, anyone who can assist Harmon in stopping the run.
Despite our clear need for a franchise QB, I can’t say that I feel strongly that he will be found in this class. With the recent news that Oregon’s Dante Moore will be returning to the Ducks, the class is just slightly more exciting than the 2022 Draf,t where only one quarterback went in the first two rounds and the only quality roster impact at the positon was Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy. I do however, hold out hope that Malik Willis is tossing dimes in the black and gold just as we hoped for so long ago.
This mock represents where I stand on January 15th, 2026. I reserve the right to spinzone this blog as I deem necessary. I will be using the NFL Mock Draft Database for this mock, meaning all picks for other teams are simulated.
I also don’t trade in mocks. Trading in mocks is for cowards.
First Round – Pick 21 – Makai Lemon – WR – USC
Lemon is everything the Pittsburgh Steelers need in a receiver to line up next to Metcalf next season. The USC prospect has been on a tear, winning the Biletnikoff Award on a season with 79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s fast, a great route runner, and an instant upgrade on day one from the receivers we ended this season with. Lemon is currently ranked 10th on Mel Kiper’s Big Board and won’t be the only receiver taken in this mock before it’s all said and done. Let the record show, Simpson and Woods are two players who could easily have been the pick here, but Lemon is a perfect combo of need and talent.
Other Names Considered – Keldric Faulk, Edge – Peter Woods, DL – Ty Simpson, QB – Kadyn Proctor, OT – C.J. Allen, LB
Second Round – Pick 53 – Chase Bisontis – IOL – Texas A&M
I’m aware that this pick isn’t going to get anyone’s Terrible Towel swirling, but replacing Isaac Seumalo and getting this line tight is a massive must. Bisontis is a 6’5″, 315-pound guard who started his college career as a 4-star recruit in the 2023 class. He wins with his light-footed work, making him a great mover on the line. He’s a balanced pass protector who can be great on screens and pulls. He has below average mass compared to most guards, but with the guard spot plugged, we have an electric young line.
Other Names Considered – Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S – Isaiah World, OT – Jadarian Price, RB – Cade Klubnik, QB
Third Round – Pick 76 – D’angelo Ponds – CB – Indiana
Joey Porter Jr. has been advertised, currently holding the longest active streak for an NFL DB without allowing a TD. Pierre was a high performer this year as well and the addition of Asante Samuel Jr has been amazing, but we need consistent play from the secondary. Ponds has been electric for Indiana as a splash playmaker and a trusted cover during their run at an undefeated season. I would anticipate him not being here come draft time, but as for now, I will gladly hand this man a Black and Gold jersey.
Other Names Considered – Malik Muhammad, CB – Jadarian Price, RB – Deontae Lawson, LB – Dontay Corleone, DL – Harold Perkins, LB
Third Round – Pick 85 – Josiah Trotter – LB – Missouri
Our linebacker core isn’t terrible, but it needs some help. Queen and Wilson have been a great duo, but stopping the run has to be a priority. Trotter excels in run coverage and had a quality college career at Missou and WVU. I’d be surprised if we see Holcomb bac,k and although Bruener and Harrison aren’t bad options, improving this group needs to be addressed in this class.
Other Names Considered – Zakee Wheatley, S – Malik Muhammad, CB – Jadarian Price, RB – Dontay Corleone, DL
Third Round – Pick 99 – Jalon Kilgore – S – South Carolina
Kilgore was made in a lab, plain and simple. He’s a freak of nature athlete who has been a consistent pillar for the Gamecocks. Kilgore has bounced around the backfield for South Carolina and has won a number of awards, presenting himself as a consistent force for their defense. With the potential departure of Jalen Ramsey, we will need an athletic Swiss Army knife to play along with a hopefully healthy DeShon Elliott next season.
Other Names Considered – Carter Smith, OT – Dontay Corleone, DL – Antonio Williams, WR – Kaytron Allen, RB
Fourth Round – Pick 121 – Kaytron Allen – RB – Penn State
Gainwell and Warren were unreal for us, but adding another element to our unknown future at the running back position seems like an easy add. Allen and Singleton are two obvious names for us to pay attention to but don’t be surprised if we don’t spend a high round pick on a back. Kaleb Johnson is still on the team and will look to build on a truly bad rookie year but until we have a true RB that runs, we need to continue to swing.
Other Names Considered – Carson Beck, QB – Antonio Williams, WR – Darrell Jackson Jr., DL – John Mateer, QB – Cade McConnell, IOL
Fourth Round – Pick 135 – John Mateer – QB – Oklahoma
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Mateer head back to Oklahoma for next season but bringing in a dog like this makes so much sense. Will Howard deserves his shot at the starting job, but deserving a shot doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be competition. Heading into this year, Mateer was a Heisman favorite and had a mediocre year that saw him get surgery on his throwing hand. Mateer is a gamer with great upside who may find himself a riser if he chooses to come out this year.
Other Names Considered – Drew Allar, QB – Davison Igbinosun, CB – Deion Burks, WR – Ahmad Moren Sr., DL
Fifth Round – Pick 159 – Ahmad Moten Sr.– DL – Miami
Moten has been a star on Miami’s defense since becoming a full-time starter. This past season was the second-team All-ACC performer’s breakout campaign, becoming a full-time starter and registering 25 tackles, eight TFLs, and 4.5 sacks (as of Jan. 6) despite missing two contests with an undisclosed injury. With Benton and Harmon solidified, the Steelers need to look for some potential replacements for Cam Heyward in the near future.
Other Names Considered – Oscar Delp, TE – Deion Burks, WR – Tyreak Sapp, EDGE
Sixth Round – Pick 213 – Bryce Lance – WR – North Dakota State
Bryce Lance, younger brother of QB Trey Lance, has found himself the latest athlete on a list of NDSU athletes who are heading to the NFL. The 6’3″ receiver is one of Mel Kiper’s sleeper picks heading into the draft and broke 1,000 yards in the last two seasons. With Lance joining the receiving room, where he will instantly be our second-tallest receiver behind Metcalf, barring MVS finding his way back to Pittsburgh.
Other Names Considered – Aamil Wagner, OT – Boubacar Traore, EDGE – Dominic Bailey, EDGE – Tanner Koziol, TE
Sixth Round – Pick 214 – Aamil Wagner – OT – Notre Dame
Wagner has been a consistent staple ever since becoming a starter on Notre Dame’s offensive line and could bring a consistent presence to our depth chart on day one. He most likely won’t be a starter with Broderick Jones still somewhat being favored at LT and Dylan Cook earning himself significant snaps with Jones being out, but depth at OL is a nice to have with the number of picks we have this year.
Other Names Considered – Boubacar Traore, EDGE – Dominic Bailey, EDGE – Tanner Koziol, TE
Seventh Round – Pick 224 – Keyron Crawford – EDGE – Auburn
Crawford finished the season with 5 sacks and 1 INT for Auburn this year and has been a consistent tackler with 28 solo tackles this year. The Steelers always seem to his on our edge rushers and the current room of guys looks terrific, but adding some depth again this late in the draft is a blessing. I’d be surprised to see Crawford available this late in the draft come April.
Other Names Considered – Logan Fano, EDGE – Josh Cameron, WR – Le’Veon Moss, RB, Aiden Fisher, LB
Seventh Round – Pick 237 – Diego Pavia – QB – Vanderbilt
I formally understand the concerns about Pavia as a player, but if you’re truly brave enough to sit there and tell me this isn’t a terrific 7th round flyer, I’m not sure I want to invite you to my birthday party. Diego can be a lot (on and off the field), but his attitude and dominance were undeniable this past season. Let me be very clear for all the Yinzers who will hate this – this pick is just 52 picks away from where Will Howard was selected. I can’t entertain the thought of Aaron coming back unless we believe our OC can win with him but it just makes no sense and honestly, same with Mason Rudolph. Mason has done all he can for Steelers Nation; it’s time to move on and these two QB’s combined with Howard means we either find our franchise QB or we’re bad enough to get our franchise QB.
Other Names Considered – Sawyer Robertson, QB – De’Quan Wright, TE – Dane Key, WR
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