Brooke PryorApr 13, 2026, 06:00 AM ET

CloseBrooke Pryor is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2019. She previously covered the Kansas City Chiefs for the Kansas City Star and the University of Oklahoma for The Oklahoman.

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PITTSBURGH — The 2026 NFL draft (8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC, ESPN App) will start on April 23 in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Steelers are scheduled to make 12 of the draft’s 257 picks, beginning with the No. 21 selection of the first round on Thursday night.

During the three-day event (Rounds 2-3 on April 24 and Rounds 4-7 on April 25), we will update this page with analysis on every pick.

A full list of Steelers’ selections are below, in addition to positional needs.

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Round 1: No. 21 overall

Round 2: No. 53

Round 3: No. 76

Round 3: No. 85

Round 3: No. 99

Round 4: No. 121

Round 4: No. 135

Round 5: No. 161

Round 6: No. 216

Round 7: No. 224

Round 7: No. 230

Round 7: No. 237

Top three needs: WR, IOL, S.

Yes, the Steelers are doing their homework on the quarterback prospects, but that’s not necessarily a top-three need in this weak class. Instead, they need to prioritize adding another wide receiver after trading for Michael Pittman Jr. and losing Calvin Austin III. New coach Mike McCarthy’s scheme calls for more wide receiver usage than Arthur Smith’s TE-heavy system.

What are you hearing on the Steelers targeting a QB in Round 1? Round 2 or 3? At all?

It seems unlikely the Steelers will use their first-round pick on a quarterback, but don’t rule it out on Day 2 or Day 3, even if Aaron Rodgers returns. New coach Mike McCarthy and the scouting staff have been doing their homework on several prospects in the quarterback class, including Carson Beck (Miami), Drew Allar (Penn State) and Garrett Nussmeier (LSU). Both McCarthy and general manager Omar Khan have been transparent about their signal-caller wish list: long arms, big hands and a knack for thriving in the cold weather.