{"id":756314,"date":"2026-02-16T16:39:25","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T16:39:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/756314\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T16:39:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T16:39:25","slug":"how-do-steelers-needs-align-with-2026-nfl-draft-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/756314\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do Steelers Needs Align with 2026 NFL Draft Class?"},"content":{"rendered":"

2026 NFL Draft<\/a>\u2022Steelers Analysis<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"NCAACredit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Now that Mike McCarthy<\/a>\u2018s coaching staff has been finalized<\/a>, all eyes will be fixated on roster construction for the next few months leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft<\/a>. While we have a general view of the Pittsburgh Steelers\u2019 biggest needs<\/a> entering the new league year, the upcoming free agency period will give us much greater clarity in that regard. <\/p>\n

Having spent the last several weeks getting preliminary evaluations on as many prospects as possible, I feel fairly confident with where the strengths and weaknesses lie with this cycle\u2019s crop of prospects. With that in mind, let\u2019s take a look at how those align with the Steelers\u2019 current depth chart as a guide for how the organization could proceed at come April.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Strength: Off-Ball Linebacker<\/p>\n

\"PittsburghOhio State linebacker Sonny Styles in a game against Penn State on Nov. 1, 2025. \u2014 Matthew Lynch \/ Nittany Sports Now<\/p>\n

In seemingly almost every cycle, this position seems to be a weakness, but the football gods are truly blessing the league with a linebacker class that could change the game for years to come. The Ohio State backers, both flushed with traits with excellent film, headline the best class that I\u2019ve ever personally evaluated in my time doing this. Sonny Styles<\/a> is a long converted safety with an advanced feel for the position in both run defense and coverage, while also being an automatic tackling machine. Arvell Reese is a freak athlete from a short-area burst and range standpoint with strong take-on skills and pass-rushing upside. Beyond the game changers at the top, there\u2019s also a good amount of depth present if you\u2019re looking for a specific archetype for a rotation.<\/p>\n

Even though linebacker isn\u2019t quite near the top of the Steelers\u2019 needs entering the offseason, the future of that room is pretty cloudy. Starters Patrick Queen<\/a> and Malik Harrison<\/a> are both entering the final years of their contracts with very little guaranteed money left on their respective deals. <\/p>\n

Payton Wilson<\/a> has shown some flashes but was still unable to seize a full-time role in his sophomore season. Taking an earlier shot on guys like Georgia\u2019s CJ Allen or Missouri\u2019s Josiah Trotter isn\u2019t completely out of the realm of possibility, but they\u2019d be wise to at least throw a dart at some point on draft weekend. You just never know when a class like this will come around again.<\/p>\n

Weakness: Quarterback<\/p>\n

\"PittsburghClemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) November 16, 2024 David Hague \/ Pittsburgh Sports Now<\/p>\n

Last April, when the Steelers elected to punt on what was largely perceived as a down quarterback class, they were banking on a stronger collection of talent being available this year. Unfortunately, that never materialized, with most of the best underclassmen passers returning to school.\u00a0 Indiana\u2019s Fernando Mendoza<\/a>, a tough and deadly accurate pocket passer, earned my lone first-round grade this past summer and carried that QB1 mantle from start to finish.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Ty Simpson<\/a>, a first-year signal caller from Alabama, looked like a top pick in October with how quickly he picked up the pre-snap operation while dicing defenses up over the middle of the field. But his play tailed off as time progressed, although some of that can be attributed to injuries.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Publicly, McCarthy has expressed a desire to bring back Aaron Rodgers<\/a> for another spin, and it\u2019s unlikely that the 42-year-old will have other suitors vying for his services. He\u2019s also been complimentary of second-year quarterback Will Howard, whom the Steelers selected in the sixth round a year ago. <\/p>\n

Mason Rudolph<\/a> is a known commodity at this juncture\u2014a fine backup option, but the team could save a small chunk of change by going in a different direction. By doing so, they could take a mid-round swing on one of the upperclassmen that failed to meet expectations, such as LSU\u2019s Garrett Nussmeier<\/a> or Cade Klubnik <\/a>out of Clemson. If nothing else, it adds necessary competition at the sport\u2019s most important position.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Strength: Wide Receiver<\/p>\n

\"\"Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State Athletics<\/p>\n

College football provides the NFL with plenty of perimeter playmaking talent on an annual basis these days and that remains true for 2026. As it stands today, I have three receivers with true first-round grades on my board, with a couple more lurking in that range heading into the NFL Combine. Arizona State\u2019s Jordyn Tyson<\/a> is a crafty route runner that separates consistently regardless of whether he\u2019s playing on or off the ball and is capable of making acrobatic plays. USC\u2019s Makai Lemon was wildly productive for two seasons versus both man and zone coverage, while playing way bigger than his size would suggest as a ball carrier and at the catch point. Ohio State\u2019s Carnell Tate is a throwback X-receiver that wins primarily on the vertical plane with good initial burst, plus body control and a vast catch radius.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no secret that the Steelers are going to need to make a significant investment in the form of multiple receiver additions in order for McCarthy\u2019s offensive system<\/a> to be fully maximized.\u00a0 It\u2019s fair to characterize their decision to acquire DK Metcalf<\/a> a year ago as an overpay, and the rest of the room offers very little reassurance. <\/p>\n

Regardless, the focus now needs to shift towards surrounding their WR1 with complementary pieces to take some of the pressure off his shoulders. Adding at least one guy who can get their own bucket on isolated routes is absolutely imperative, but adding multiple alignment-versatile players would give them the depth that they have so sorely lacked over the past couple seasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Weakness: Running Back<\/p>\n

\"Syndication:Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (4) runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown in the first half of a NCAA football game against Syracuse at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in South Bend, Ind. \u2014 Michael Clubb \/ Imagn Images Credit: MICHAEL CLUBB\/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a down year for the running back position overall. With so many other holes on their roster, the Steelers simply can\u2019t afford the luxury of taking one really early this spring, anyways. Jeremiyah Love<\/a> out of Notre Dame is undeniably the crown jewel of the bunch: he\u2019s a patient ball carrier with the ideal burst through the hole you\u2019re looking for, combined with the speed to outrace pursuit angles. <\/p>\n

Typically, this position can fall victim to the positional value argument, but it\u2019s hard to see that being the case in this instance. Washington Huskies star Jonah Coleman was someone that caught my eye over the summer because of his blend of rare contact balance and pass protection savvy, but nagging injuries sapped his effectiveness in 2025. In short, this class mostly just consists of role players.<\/p>\n

Jaylen Warren<\/a> was one of the most efficient creators at his position last year, but he\u2019s never been a true workhorse. Kaleb Johnson<\/a> was a complete non-factor in his first year as a pro, and he\u2019s more of a wide-zone runner anyways, which won\u2019t be as big a part of the offense with Arthur Smith out of the picture.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

The Steelers will surely try to retain the services of Kenneth Gainwell<\/a>, knowing his pass game impact will be a glove-like fit for McCarthy\u2019s West Coast system. If he does walk for a bigger payday than what they can reasonably afford, the Steelers would have no choice but to add someone who can pass protect and catch the ball out of the backfield.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMentioned In This Article: 2026 NFL Draft<\/a> Cade Klubnik<\/a> Jeremiah Love<\/a> Jordyn Tyson<\/a> Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a> Sonny Styles<\/a> Steelers<\/a> top<\/a> Ty Simpson<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"2026 NFL Draft\u2022Steelers Analysis Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Now that Mike McCarthy\u2018s coaching staff has been finalized, all…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":756315,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2055],"tags":[4955,5385,7,108202,7602,6,520,57,2360,2239,426,3444,20708],"class_list":{"0":"post-756314","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-pittsburgh-steelers","8":"tag-2026-nfl-draft","9":"tag-cade-klubnik","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-jeremiah-love","12":"tag-jordyn-tyson","13":"tag-nfl","14":"tag-pittsburgh","15":"tag-pittsburgh-steelers","16":"tag-pittsburghsteelers","17":"tag-sonny-styles","18":"tag-steelers","19":"tag-top","20":"tag-ty-simpson"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116081300731460682","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/756314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=756314"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/756314\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/756315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=756314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=756314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=756314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}