The Pittsburgh Steelers have a luxury that most teams don’t heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. They’re sitting on a large amount of draft capital with the flexibility to be aggressive if they choose.
The Steelers hold 12 total picks in this year’s draft, beginning with the No. 21 overall selection. Aside from not picking inside the top 10, new head coach Mike McCarthy has to feel pretty good about the position his team is in entering his first season in Pittsburgh.
The biggest question, of course, is how they’ll use that capital. CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson has the Steelers taking a particularly bold approach — not only keeping their first-round pick, but also jumping back into the end of the round.
Steelers Add Firepower at WR in Early Projection
Wilson first has the Steelers addressing the wide receiver position with Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson — a name that has consistently appeared in early projections.
“If Tyson is healthy, he’s battling for WR1,” Wilson wrote. “In Pittsburgh, he’ll take the Steelers WR room from ‘DK and everybody else’ to ‘three dudes,’ which is great news for Aaron Rodgers, Will Howard or whomever else might be under center in the Steel City.”
The talent is undeniable, but Tyson’s health is the biggest concern. He’s only played one full college season, coming in 2024, and has appeared in just 33 total games over four years.
There’s also the question of role. With DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. already in place, it would be a stretch to expect Tyson to immediately compete for WR1 duties.
That said, the long-term outlook could tell a different story. If Pittsburgh makes this move, it likely signals a future-focused approach at the position, possibly moving on from Metcalf in the future.
Steelers Predicted to Trade Back Into First Round for QB
Where things really get aggressive is at the end of the first round.
Wilson has the Steelers trading back into the first round by dealing with the Seattle Seahawks for the No. 32 overall pick. In return, Pittsburgh would send its second- and third-round selections (Nos. 53 and 76) to land Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
“The Steelers have 12 picks, so they package two of them — Nos. 53 and 76 — to move up to No. 32 and take Simpson,” Wilson wrote. “Yes, next year’s QB class is LOADED … but don’t we say that every single year, and every single year it’s never quite as loaded as we all predicted? Meanwhile, midway through the season, we talked about Simpson being in the running for QB1 until injuries changed the conversation.”
The bigger question is whether Simpson would even still be available that late.
His projection has varied, with some viewing him as a first-round talent and others placing him in the second. If the Steelers are serious about making him their future quarterback, they may need to be even more aggressive than Wilson suggests.
That could mean moving up earlier in the round to get ahead of quarterback-needy teams like the New York Jets or Arizona Cardinals, who have the No. 1 and 2 picks.
Still, one thing remains clear — Simpson continues to be heavily linked to Pittsburgh, regardless of whether Aaron Rodgers ultimately returns or not.
Shane Shoemaker Shane Shoemaker is a sports journalist covering college football and the NFL for Heavy.com. His work has also appeared in The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, USA TODAY, and ClutchPoints, along with high school sports coverage for the Marion Tribune. More about Shane Shoemaker
More Heavy on Steelers
Loading more stories