NFL training camps haven’t even started yet, but this doesn’t stop us from looking ahead at next year and the 2026 NFL draft. This is because for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it isn’t terribly difficult to look at the current roster and already know what the team’s top offseason needs will be.
So when the Pro Football Network put out a three-round mock draft, we took a look and decided to break down the picks in terms of the Steelers top needs as opposed to diving deep into the prospects. Guys will rise and fall over the next year but where the rosters are now isn’t going to change drastically for the better before the next offseason.
First round – QB Garrett Nussmeier – LSU
We are absolutely on board with the idea that you can write it in pen that the Steelers will take a quarterback in the first round next year. The only thing that would change this is if Will Howard transforms into Ben Roethlisberger and has that type of rookie season. We don’t see this happening, so whether it’s Nussemeir or some other quarterback, this is a near-lock.
Second round – WR Denzel Boston – Washington
After trading away George Pickens, the Steelers are going to cobble together a unit behind DK Metcalf so yes, a big-play receiver like Boston makes perfect sense. We do wonder if this would be a need they hit in free agency instead, especially if they are forced to trade up for a quarterback.
Third round – EDGE Patrick Payton – LSU
I guess PFN thinks T.J. Watt is leaving but we don’t. And even if he did, the nucleus of Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and Jack Sawyer are great. Instead, we see cornerback as a much higher priority with Darius Slay essentially a one-year rental and very little talent on the horizon.