In 26 days, the 2026 NFL Draft will get underway in Pittsburgh, marking the first time the draft has been held in Pittsburgh since 1948.
It’s been a long time. It’s also been a long time since the Pittsburgh Steelers have had a new voice overseeing the roster. Now, Greenfield native Mike McCarthy is in charge, taking over for Mike Tomlin after 19 years. That shook things up significantly this offseason for the Black and Gold, not only within the locker room, but from an observation standpoint on the outside, as the mode of operation has changed for Pittsburgh.
McCarthy hasn’t been much of a presence on the Pro Day scene in his first year with the Steelers, which is a drastic change from how Tomlin liked to operate. That leaves many guessing at this point about the Steelers’ interest in draft prospects, especially first-rounders.
Knowing that, based on some names that have been connected to the Steelers in the first round via various mock drafts from draft gurus, and from Combine and Pro Day buzz, I decided to rank the 10 best first-round fits for the Steelers, from most ideal to most questionable.
Take a look.
No. 1 — Penn State iOL Olaivavega Ioane
A name that continues to generate a great deal of buzz for the Steelers, Ioane would plug a major hole at left guard for Pittsburgh, not only in 2026, but likely for the next decade-plus, too. He’s one of the best players in the class, period, and is largely considered the best offensive lineman in the group, too.
The Steelers didn’t have much of a presence at his Pro Day, and he hasn’t come in for an official pre-draft visit yet. The Steelers also didn’t meet with him at the Combine, but it’s hard to truly connect the dots here. But he’s an elite-level talent at a major position of need.
Pittsburgh has invested heavily in the trenches in recent years under GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl, and I don’t see that changing much going forward. Ioane would be a home run, much like David DeCastro’s slide to No. 24 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft was for the Steelers, too.
Olaivavega Ioane Scouting Report
No. 2 — Southern California WR Makai Lemon
Even after trading for Michael Pittman Jr. and extending him before the official start of the new league year, the Steelers still have a major need at wide receiver. Pittman paired with DK Metcalf makes a great 1-2 punch for the Steelers, regardless of who is under center, but more is needed.
Lemon would be a perfect fit for the Steelers, a guy who can play inside and outside. He’s not the fastest, and there are questions about his size and strength translating to the NFL. But all he did was dominate for the Trojans, and he reminds many of Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown.
The Steelers held a formal meeting with Lemon at the Combine, and Director of Player Scouting Mark Sadowski was at USC’s Pro Day to get eyes on Lemon. The question — like Ioane — is: will he be there at 21? I wouldn’t rule it out.
No. 3 — Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson
Another receiver here in Tyson, especially as a guy who is terrific at creating big plays after the catch. Yes, the injury history is a real concern. But the tape is outstanding. Add in the fact that he’s been coached by former Steelers all-time great Hines Ward, and it makes the selection all the more enticing.
Tyson is another one the Steelers met with formally at the Combine, and he fills a need at receiver due to his ability to force missed tackles after the catch, turning short throws into long gains. The medicals need to check out, but there’s a real chance he’s on the board at No. 21 overall. Hopefully, Ward can give some inside information on Tyson.
No. 4 — Alabama OL Kadyn Proctor
Proctor has been connected to the Steelers in various mock drafts in the last month or so, as many can clearly see the need on the left side of the offensive line. Broderick Jones’ health is up in the air, and when he’s been on the field, he hasn’t been all that great, either.
A physical specimen with great athleticism, Proctor is a bit raw, but with the right coaching, he could become a true monster in the trenches. With two new offensive line coaches in James Campen and future NFL Hall of Famer Jahri Evans, the Steelers could give them a moldable ball of clay to work with right away.
No. 5 — Oregon S Dillon Thieneman
Safety might not be a major need after the Steelers signed Jaquan Brisker and have plans on adding Darnell Savage, too, but Thieneman is a name that has generated some buzz when it comes to a potential fit with the Steelers. The Steelers met with him in a formal capacity at the Combine, and area scout Chidi Iwuoma was in attendance at Oregon’s Pro Day.
Thienemen tested off the charts at the Combine, running a 4.35 40-yard dash with a 10’5″ broad jump and a 41-inch vertical. He can align all over the field and could be a great chess piece for new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to work with. But the position isn’t a huge need, and it’d be curious to see how Pittsburgh could get him on the field enough in Year 1 to have a major impact.
Dillon Thieneman Scouting Report
No. 6 — Ohio State DL Kayden McDonald
After drafting a defensive lineman in the first round last year in Derrick Harmon, it seems a bit far-fetched that the Steelers would do it a second year in a row, this time with a likely nose-only in McDonald. But there has been some interest there, and in our scouting report, Alex Kozora compared him favorably to another former Steelers great, Casey Hampton.
McDonald met formally with the Steelers at the Combine and has been mocked to Pittsburgh a few times. He also has a great relationship with Cameron Heyward, and what better scenario to step into in the NFL than in the same defensive line room with Heyward himself.
Of course, the depth chart looks much better here than it has in a number of years, and a first-round pick on a guy that projects to be a nose and offers little as a pass rusher doesn’t seem like great value. McDonald is a great talent, though, and could shore up the middle of the defense for years to come.
It just wouldn’t be the flashy pick, but building the trenches never really is.
Kayden McDonald Scouting Report
No. 7 — Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr.
There’s the connection to new Steelers wide receivers coach Adam Henry that makes this one all the more intriguing, but having him here at No. 7 makes a bit of sense compared to the other names in this group.
Much like many of the other receivers in the group, the Steelers did have a formal meeting with Cooper at the Combine, and presumably got a close look at him at times throughout the season as Indiana made the run to a perfect season and a national championship. He was an unheralded star on the team, and continues to generate buzz as one of the overlooked receivers in a talented class, one that could hear his name called in the first round.
He’s tough as nails, blocks well and just plays a smart, savvy game.
Omar Cooper Jr. Scouting Report
No. 8 — Washington WR Denzel Boston
Early on in the pre-draft process, I planted my flag with Boston as the receiver the Steelers needed to go all out for in the first round of the draft. Business conducted by Khan and the Steelers since then, via a trade that landed Pittman, has changed that line of thinking for me.
Boston is a big, physical receiver that does well in contested-catch situations. He’s not a burner and isn’t going to create a ton of separation or create a splash after the catch, very similar to Pittman. So, that makes Boston a bit redundant.
The Steelers are still going to host him for a pre-draft visit, he said, and they checked the boxes with a formal meeting at the Combine and the Pro Day with area scout Mark Bruener in attendance. But with Pittman in the room, I had to drop Boston down the list.
Of course, Khan could just create a basketball team in the receiver room and have a bunch of big, physical guys making them hard to defend.
No. 9 — Alabama QB Ty Simpson
Yes, the Steelers need to find a quarterback of the future. But that quarterback of the future shouldn’t be Simpson.
I do think he’s a first-round caliber quarterback, but the 15 career starts in college worry me, as does the drop-off in play late last season in 2025. Granted, the rest of the team around him came apart, and he was dealing with an illness, but the play late in the season was concerning.
He is the son of a college football head coach, and he’s come up under some great collegiate coaches in Nick Saban and Kalen DeBoer. But there’s not much there that wows you from a physical tools perspective. He’s not in the same conversation as Fernando Mendoza, but he’s better than Kenny Pickett once was.
If Aaron Rodgers retires, this selection would make a bit more sense for the Steelers, but if that happens, they should just roll with Will Howard and hope to have a better draft pick in what appears to be a top-notch 2027 class at QB.
No. 10 — Georgia ILB CJ Allen
With trade rumors swirling regarding Patrick Queen, Allen’s name has popped up in the last month or so as a potential replacement, considering the Steelers were heavily present at Georgia’s Pro Day, and Allen would fill a need as a downhill thumper against the run.
Queen doesn’t appear to be going anywhere, though, and add in questions about Allen’s size and his struggles with coverage and playing in space in the SEC, and it’s hard to see how his game translates at a high level to the NFL, especially if he could be a first-round pick.
Allen doesn’t fit the profile of a trio of linebackers the Steelers have brought in recently for pre-draft visits, either. So right now, despite the Pro Day attendance, this would feel like a rather empty selection, which is why he sits at No. 10.
How would you rank the 10 names mentioned here? Leave your answer below in the comments.