The Steelers have the 21st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The last time they had the 21st pick in the annual Roger Goodell Lollapabooya? Well, hey there last year.
The Steelers patiently waited before filling a need and getting their guy in Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. The early returns on Harmon are good.
But recent history shows it is too early to say he is the worthy heir to the ageless Cam Heyward. It also provides some clues to what the Steelers will get in late April, assuming GM Omar Khan does not trade out of the 21st pick.
If the last quarter century is any indication, the Steelers should get a player who will be pretty good at the next level. Maybe even a franchise cornerstone.
The Patriots sure did in 2004. They drafted massive nose tackle Vince Wilfork with the 21st pick. He made five All-Pro teams in 11 seasons with the Patriots and helped the Fightin Tom Terrifics win a pair of Bowl Bowls.
Eight years later, they hit big again with the 21st overall pick. Chandler Jones did not really blossom until after he left New England, but he still racked up 50 sacks in four seasons before the Patriots traded him to the Cardinals for a second-round pick. They flipped that pick, ultimately netting G Joe Thuney. He became the first player to start in the Super Bowl in his first three seasons and was a stalwart along the Patriots’ offensive line.
The Browns also found an anchor up front after they drafted Alex Mack 21st overall in 2009. He would have been the gold standard for AFC centers had the Steelers not drafted Maurkice Pouncey a year later. Sometimes the Browns make it too easy.
The Bengals picked 21st four times from 2010-18. Their best 21st overall pick this century was actually made by the Jaguars in 2007. Safety Reggie Nelson had three solid seasons in Jacksonville, but really came into his own after the Jaguars traded him to the Bengals. Nelson tied for the NFL lead with eight interceptions in 2015.
The Steelers could target safety with their first-round pick. But wide receiver is really the position to watch, given they’ve been deficient there for far too long.
This draft is as deep at wide receiver as it is shallow at quarterback. And mock drafts consistently pair the Steelers with a wide receiver at No. 21 overall. Hopefully, recent history is not a factor if the Steelers do indeed draft a wide receiver in the first round for the first time since Santonio Holmes in 2006.
Will Fuller and Quentin Johnston are the best of the five wide receivers taken 21st overall. Jalen Reagor is arguably the biggest bust of all players drafted 21st overall since 2000. He has four career touchdown catches and is on his fourth team. Justin Jefferson, selected by the Vikings one pick after the Eagles took Reagor, has been a first-team All-Pro selection four times. Yikes.
There is another oops that links the Steelers and the 21st pick of the draft.
In 2022, the Chiefs selected CB Trent McDuffie after trading three draft picks to the Patriots to move up eight spots in the first round. All McDuffie has done in his first four NFL seasons is win a pair of Super Bowl rings while becoming one of the league’s top cornerbacks.
The players taken one spot before McDuffie? QB Kenny Pickett.
Here is the complete list of No. 21 overall picks since 2000.
2000
WR Sylvester Morris, Chiefs
Never played again after a promising rookie season (48 receptions for 678 yards) because of chronic knee injuries.
2001
Made 25 of his career 36 interceptions and a Pro Bowl in six seasons with the Bills.
2002
TE Daniel Graham, Patriots
Developed into an excellent blocker and won three Super Bowl rings with the Patriots before signing with the Broncos.
2003
Started four seasons for the Browns before they traded him to the Saints for a second-round pick. Good value here.
2004
NT Vince Wilfork, Patriots
He and Casey Hampton were the NFL’s best nose tackles in the 2000s, both winning multiple Super Bowl rings.
2005
Converted college QB caught 166 passes for 2,153 yards and 16 TDs in four seasons before substance-abuse issues derailed his career.
2006
RB Laurence Maroney, Patriots
Tailed off after rushing for 1,580 yards and 12 TDs in first two seasons combined. Patriots traded him and a sixth-round pick for a fourth-round pick after his fourth season.
2007
Made a Pro Bowl with two different teams. Neither were Jacksonville. Started 83-of-93 games for the Bengals from 2010-15 before signing with the Raiders.
2008
From the could-have-been-better-could-have-been-worse department. Started 61-of-70 games at right tackle and signed a second contract with the Falcons.
2009
Really good player who had a unique career hat trick. In addition to the Browns, he also made the Pro Bowl while playing for the Falcons and 49ers.
2010
TE Jermaine Gresham, Bengals
Most teams will take the 56 catches that Gresham averaged in five seasons with the Bengals.
2011
Fell off a cliff after a strong rookie season in which he recorded 59 tackles and four sacks. Played just 28 combined games his last three seasons in Cleveland as injuries cut short his career.
2012
DE Chandler Jones, Patriots
Became one of the NFL’s most dominant defensive players with 17- and 19-sack seasons after the Patriots traded him to the Cardinals. Still a big draft hit for Patriots considering what they got out of Jones and what they got for him.
2013
Seemed like a luxury pick at the time, and Eifert never turned into Jermaine Gresham 2.0. Had a whopping 13 TD catches in 2015 but only went over 500 receiving yards one time in seven seasons with the Bengals.
2014
S Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix, Packers
A true yes-we-will-take-this with the player drafted one spot ahead of Johnny Manziel. Clinton-Dix immediately slotted in as a starter and was a second-team All-Pro pick in 2016 after a five-interception, 80-tackle season. Green Bay traded him to Washington during the 2018 season for a fourth-round pick.
2015
OT Cedric Ogbuehi, Bengals
Started games at both left and right tackle, but did not show enough for the Bengals to pick up his fifth-year option. The ultimate journeyman, Ogbuehi has spent time with eight different teams.
2016
Bona-fide deep threat when he was healthy. Averaged over 15 yards a catch in three of his five seasons with the Texas, and had a career year in 2020 with 53 catches for 897 yards and eight TDs in 11 games. Has not played in a game since that season.
2017
Made a lot of tackles but did not distinguish himself in the middle of the Lions’ defense. They declined his fifth-year option, and Davis, who battled injuries, hasn’t played in a game since the 2022 season.
2018
Started 10 games in his first season and made the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie team. The Bengals traded Price ahead of the 2021 season to the Giants for B.J. Hill, who has become their best interior defensive lineman. Price retired in May 2024 due to a non-football-related condition.
2019
S Darnell Savage, Packers
Started 64-of-67 games for the Packers in four seasons before signing with the Jaguars as a free agent. Best season came in 2020 when Savage had 75 tackles and four interceptions. Savage reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with the Steelers earlier this month but has yet to sign with them.
2020
Lasted just two seasons in Philly before the Eagles shipped him to the Vikings for a pair of last-round draft picks. Has just 22 catches since 2022 and did not play in a game last season.
2021
DE Kwity Paye, Colts
Had two seasons with at least eight sacks and just cashed in after a solid run in Indianapolis. Paye signed a three-year contract worth as much as $50 million with the Raiders.
2022
CB Trent McDuffie, Chiefs
Quickly became a top-flight cornerback, helping the Chiefs win the Super Bowl in his first two seasons. They traded the two-time All-Pro selection to the Rams earlier this month for four draft picks, including a first-rounder this year.
2023
WR Quentin Johnston, Chargers
Struggled with drops as a rookie before coming into his own. Has 106 catches for 1,446 yards and 16 TDs the last two seasons combined. Will be interesting to see if the Chargers pick up his fifth-year option.
2024
An immediate starter in Detroit, but played in only eight games in 2025 and was shut down late due to season-ending shoulder surgery. Has 18 passes defended in two seasons and looks like a long-term starter in the Lions’ secondary.
2025
DT Derrick Harmon, Steelers
Helped shore up the Steelers’ run defense and looks like a defensive building block for a team that needed to get younger on that side of the ball.