The Pittsburgh Steelers have a plethora of picks in the 2026 NFL Draft — 12 to be precise. That means the Steelers and general manager Omar Khan have plenty of ammunition to use. They could move around during the draft, push picks off to next year, or even use them to acquire NFL veterans.

However, until any of those moves materialize (if they even do), the Steelers can stock their roster with young talent.

NFL.com’s Chad Reuter published a four-round mock draft on Friday. He didn’t have the Steelers making any trades, so he had them pick up seven new players.

1st Round, 21st Overall Pick – OT Blake Miller, Michigan

Reuter did not have the Steelers taking a wide receiver or a safety with the 21st pick in the draft. Instead, he had the Steelers address the position tasked with protecting right-handed quarterbacks’ blindside, left tackle.

Or at least the future of the position.

“With LT Broderick Jones recovering from December neck surgery and the team weighing whether to exercise his fifth-year option, Miller should be squarely on the Steelers’ radar,” Reuter wrote. “Troy Fautanu can move back to left tackle if Miller needs to step in as a rookie.”

Now, a couple of notes here. Yes, Troy Fautanu played left tackle in college at Washington. So in theory, he could move over to the left if needed. However, the Steelers have intentionally kept him at right tackle through his first two years in Pittsburgh. He would almost have to retrain himself to play left tackle at this point.

Secondly, what about Dylan Cook? Cook stepped in after both Jones and Andrus Peat went down with injuries last season. He played quite well down the stretch, the playoff loss to the Houston Texans notwithstanding. So, if Broderick Jones is not healthy or hasn’t worked his way back to full strength to compete with Cook, wouldn’t Cook start Week 1?

As for Blake Miller as a prospect, our very own Ryan Paglia took a look at his Clemson tape. He sees an aggressive long-term starter in the NFL, which is a good thing. The Steelers don’t have a set-in-stone long-term answer at left tackle, and perhaps Miller could be that. The question is whether Miller is head-and-shoulders better than other players on the board who might be at a position of bigger need.

2nd Round, 53rd Overall Pick – WR Zachariah Branch, Georgia

The Steelers entered this offseason knowing they needed to make some serious changes at the wide receiver position. The proverbial cupboard was bare. Omar Khan and company did make one big move to address the need by swapping late-round picks with the Indianapolis Colts to acquire WR Michael Pittman Jr.

However, one move does not fix the overwhelming need for talent. That’s why Reuter has the Steelers taking WR Zachariah Branch from Georgia in the second round.

The Steelers are doing their homework on Branch, no question. Khan and head coach Mike McCarthy attended Georgia’s Pro Day, then had dinner with Branch, among other Georgia prospects. That’s usually a sign of interest.

Paglia also went over Branch’s tape, and he sees a dynamic player with “human joystick ability” with the potential to be a long-term starter in the NFL. To call him dynamic is an understatement. In 2025, Branch caught 81 passes for 811 yards and six touchdowns. He brings return ability as well, something the Steelers need. He returned 15 punts for 180 yards and 16 kickoffs for 205 yards. For his career, spanning one year with Georgia and time at USC, Branch caught 159 passes for 1,634 yards and nine touchdowns. He returned 44 punts for 586 yards and a touchdown while returning 39 kickoffs for 752 yards and a touchdown.

The Steelers need dynamic players on offense, and there are few more dynamic in this draft than Zachariah Branch. The biggest question is whether he’ll hold up in the NFL at only 5’10 and 180 pounds. If he can, he’ll be a nightmare for opposing defenses.

3rd Round, Pick 76 – CB Malik Muhammad, Texas

The Steelers have a trio of picks in the third round, and Reuter starts off with them building their cornerback depth with Malik Muhammad. Muhammad showed off his speed at the NFL Scouting Combine by running a 4.42 40-yard dash. He ranked in the top 10 of corners for the 40-yard dash, but he tied at the top of the entire group with an elite 1.51 10-yard split.

Muhammad isn’t all speed, though. In 2025, he had 30 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, his first career sack, two interceptions and four pass breakups. In 41 career games, he has 97 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, the aforementioned sack, three interceptions and 16 passes broken up. When Paglia looked at Muhammad’s tape, he saw a corner who is equally capable of playing man and zone while aggressively playing the ball.

It may take time, but Malik Muhammad could develop into a big-time playmaker at corner once he’s in an NFL weight room while honing his technique even further.

3rd Round, Pick 85 – QB Carson Beck, Miami

People long wondered if the Steelers would take a quarterback in this year’s draft. At the end of last offseason, it seemed like a certainty with most people assuming QB Aaron Rodgers would play one year and then retire. However, the Steelers and Rodgers seem to be gearing up for a reunion. Plus, the quarterback class is a lot less promising than it seemed a year ago.

That being said, the Steelers are looking at quarterbacks in this year’s draft, and Carson Beck is one of those quarterbacks they’re keeping tabs on. They had Beck in for a visit earlier this week, so it certainly seems like they could pick him in the middle rounds. The Steelers need to find a long-term answer at the position. So, the more chances they take, the more options they’ll have.

Could Beck be that long-term answer, though? Our very own Jake Brockhoff watched Beck’s tape, and he came away unsure of his NFL future.

There is a good amount to like about Carson Beck’s game. If he’s in the right offensive system, things can go well. He understands timing and throws with anticipation… However, there are some big limitations that may scare NFL franchises. For one, there just isn’t a ton of athletic upside. And despite having solid size for the position, Beck doesn’t throw a strong football. His arm strength, which is average at best, plus his willingness to throw the ball into traffic, will worry teams. He’ll also need to find a way to deal with pressure, especially up the middle.

Is it worth the Steelers’ while to take a flyer on Beck in the third round? With 12 picks in total, maybe.

3rd Round, Pick 99 – OG Jalen Farmer, Kentucky

Reuter has the Steelers rounding out the third round by addressing a need on the offensive line. While you might question the need to take an offensive tackle in the first round, the Steelers should address the departure of LG Isaac Seumalo. G Jalen Farmer started 24 games over the last two years for Kentucky, so he has good starting experience.

However, Farmer is not a fully developed prospect. That’s probably why he was available at this point in Reuter’s mock. Our very own Nate Kosko dove into Farmer’s film, and he sees all the physical tools and abilities for Farmer to be a quality option. However, Farmer’s technique is almost nonexistent. When he wins a block, it’s in spite of his technique, not because of it.

The fact that Farmer wins reps in the SEC with a lack of technique is promising, though. Perhaps some time in Pittsburgh with new offensive line coach James Campen and assistant coach Jahri Evans will help bring him along as a future starter.

4th Round, Pick 121 – TE Oscar Delp, Georgia

The Steelers brought TE Jonnu Smith in last offseason as part of the DB Jalen Ramsey trade. While Ramsey appears to be sticking around in Pittsburgh for a second season, Smith is not. The Steelers do have two established tight ends in Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, but Washington did suffer a season-ending injury late in the season. Perhaps that’s why Reuter has the Steelers taking TE Oscar Delp with their first of two picks in the fourth round.

Delp never took off at Georgia with 70 catches for 854 yards and nine touchdowns over 34 career starts. His senior season did not go the way people hoped, with only 20 catches for 261 yards and one touchdown. However, he did have a previously unrealized hairline fracture in his foot that likely plagued him all season long. Perhaps getting fully healthy will allow him to develop more. Stay tuned for Steelers Depot’s full tape breakdown on Delp!

4th Round, Pick 135 – S Robert Spears-Jennings, Oklahoma

The Steelers brought in two safeties during free agency in Darnell Savage and Jaquan Brisker. However, Reuter doesn’t think they’re done. Spears-Jennings is another downhill tackler at safety, which the Steelers appear to be loading up on. In 2025, he had 59 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, one interception, two pass breakups and one forced fumble. For his career, he has 178 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, five pass breakups, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

The Steelers could use more of a deep safety at this point, but he did show out at the Combine. He was one of the more athletic safeties out of the group, posting a 4.32 40-yard dash. That’s a tenth of a second faster than Malik Muhammad, who Reuter had the Steelers taking in the third round.

What are your thoughts on Reuter’s four-round mock?