The Pittsburgh Steelers have a plethora of picks in the 2026 NFL Draft \u2014 12 to be precise. That means the Steelers and general manager Omar Khan have plenty of ammunition to use. They could move around during the draft, push picks off to next year, or even use them to acquire NFL veterans.<\/p>\n
However, until any of those moves materialize (if they even do), the Steelers can stock their roster with young talent.<\/p>\n
NFL.com\u2019s Chad Reuter published a four-round mock draft on Friday. He didn\u2019t have the Steelers making any trades, so he had them pick up seven new players.<\/p>\n
1st Round, 21st Overall Pick \u2013 OT Blake Miller, Michigan<\/p>\n
Reuter did not have the Steelers taking a wide receiver or a safety with the 21st pick in the draft<\/a>. Instead, he had the Steelers address the position tasked with protecting right-handed quarterbacks\u2019 blindside, left tackle.<\/p>\n Or at least the future of the position.<\/p>\n \u201cWith LT Broderick Jones recovering from December neck surgery and the team weighing whether to exercise his fifth-year option, Miller should be squarely on the Steelers\u2019 radar,\u201d Reuter wrote. \u201cTroy Fautanu can move back to left tackle if Miller needs to step in as a rookie.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, a couple of notes here. Yes, Troy Fautanu played left tackle in college at Washington. So in theory, he could move over to the left if needed. However, the Steelers have intentionally kept him at right tackle through his first two years in Pittsburgh. He would almost have to retrain himself to play left tackle at this point.<\/p>\n Secondly, what about Dylan Cook? Cook stepped in after both Jones and Andrus Peat went down with injuries last season. He played quite well down the stretch, the playoff loss to the Houston Texans notwithstanding. So, if Broderick Jones is not healthy or hasn\u2019t worked his way back to full strength to compete with Cook, wouldn\u2019t Cook start Week 1?<\/p>\n As for Blake Miller as a prospect, our very own Ryan Paglia took a look at his Clemson tape<\/a>. He sees an aggressive long-term starter in the NFL, which is a good thing. The Steelers don\u2019t have a set-in-stone long-term answer at left tackle, and perhaps Miller could be that. The question is whether Miller is head-and-shoulders better than other players on the board who might be at a position of bigger need.<\/p>\n 2nd Round, 53rd Overall Pick \u2013 WR Zachariah Branch, Georgia<\/p>\n The Steelers entered this offseason knowing they needed to make some serious changes at the wide receiver position. The proverbial cupboard was bare. Omar Khan and company did make one big move to address the need by swapping late-round picks with the Indianapolis Colts to acquire WR Michael Pittman Jr.<\/p>\n However, one move does not fix the overwhelming need for talent. That\u2019s why Reuter has the Steelers taking WR Zachariah Branch from Georgia in the second round<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Steelers are doing their homework on Branch, no question. Khan and head coach Mike McCarthy attended Georgia\u2019s Pro Day, then had dinner with Branch, among other Georgia prospects<\/a>. That\u2019s usually a sign of interest.<\/p>\n Paglia also went over Branch\u2019s tape<\/a>, and he sees a dynamic player with \u201chuman joystick ability\u201d with the potential to be a long-term starter in the NFL. To call him dynamic is an understatement. In 2025, Branch caught 81 passes for 811 yards and six touchdowns. He brings return ability as well, something the Steelers need. He returned 15 punts for 180 yards and 16 kickoffs for 205 yards. For his career, spanning one year with Georgia and time at USC, Branch caught 159 passes for 1,634 yards and nine touchdowns. He returned 44 punts for 586 yards and a touchdown while returning 39 kickoffs for 752 yards and a touchdown.<\/p>\n The Steelers need dynamic players on offense, and there are few more dynamic in this draft than Zachariah Branch. The biggest question is whether he\u2019ll hold up in the NFL at only 5\u201910 and 180 pounds. If he can, he\u2019ll be a nightmare for opposing defenses.<\/p>\n 3rd Round, Pick 76 \u2013 CB Malik Muhammad, Texas<\/p>\n The Steelers have a trio of picks in the third round<\/a>, and Reuter starts off with them building their cornerback depth with Malik Muhammad. Muhammad showed off his speed at the NFL Scouting Combine by running a 4.42 40-yard dash. He ranked in the top 10 of corners for the 40-yard dash, but he tied at the top of the entire group with an elite 1.51 10-yard split.<\/p>\n Muhammad isn\u2019t all speed, though. In 2025, he had 30 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, his first career sack, two interceptions and four pass breakups. In 41 career games, he has 97 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, the aforementioned sack, three interceptions and 16 passes broken up. When Paglia looked at Muhammad\u2019s tape<\/a>, he saw a corner who is equally capable of playing man and zone while aggressively playing the ball.<\/p>\n It may take time, but Malik Muhammad could develop into a big-time playmaker at corner once he\u2019s in an NFL weight room while honing his technique even further.<\/p>\n 3rd Round, Pick 85 \u2013 QB Carson Beck, Miami<\/p>\n People long wondered if the Steelers would take a quarterback in this year\u2019s draft. At the end of last offseason, it seemed like a certainty with most people assuming QB Aaron Rodgers would play one year and then retire. However, the Steelers and Rodgers seem to be gearing up for a reunion. Plus, the quarterback class is a lot less promising than it seemed a year ago.<\/p>\n That being said, the Steelers are looking at quarterbacks in this year\u2019s draft, and Carson Beck is one of those quarterbacks they\u2019re keeping tabs on. They had Beck in for a visit earlier this week<\/a>, so it certainly seems like they could pick him in the middle rounds. The Steelers need to find a long-term answer at the position. So, the more chances they take, the more options they\u2019ll have.<\/p>\n Could Beck be that long-term answer, though? Our very own Jake Brockhoff watched Beck\u2019s tape<\/a>, and he came away unsure of his NFL future.<\/p>\n There is a good amount to like about Carson Beck\u2019s game. If he\u2019s in the right offensive system, things can go well. He understands timing and throws with anticipation\u2026 However, there are some big limitations that may scare NFL franchises. For one, there just isn\u2019t a ton of athletic upside. And despite having solid size for the position, Beck doesn\u2019t throw a strong football. His arm strength, which is average at best, plus his willingness to throw the ball into traffic, will worry teams. He\u2019ll also need to find a way to deal with pressure, especially up the middle.<\/p>\n Is it worth the Steelers\u2019 while to take a flyer on Beck in the third round? With 12 picks in total, maybe.<\/p>\n 3rd Round, Pick 99 \u2013 OG Jalen Farmer, Kentucky<\/p>\n Reuter has the Steelers rounding out the third round by addressing a need on the offensive line. While you might question the need to take an offensive tackle in the first round, the Steelers should address the departure of LG Isaac Seumalo. G Jalen Farmer started 24 games over the last two years for Kentucky, so he has good starting experience.<\/p>\n However, Farmer is not a fully developed prospect. That\u2019s probably why he was available at this point in Reuter\u2019s mock. Our very own Nate Kosko dove into Farmer\u2019s film,<\/a> and he sees all the physical tools and abilities for Farmer to be a quality option. However, Farmer\u2019s technique is almost nonexistent. When he wins a block, it\u2019s in spite of his technique, not because of it.<\/p>\n The fact that Farmer wins reps in the SEC with a lack of technique is promising, though. Perhaps some time in Pittsburgh with new offensive line coach James Campen and assistant coach Jahri Evans will help bring him along as a future starter.<\/p>\n 4th Round, Pick 121 \u2013 TE Oscar Delp, Georgia<\/p>\n The Steelers brought TE Jonnu Smith in last offseason as part of the DB Jalen Ramsey trade. While Ramsey appears to be sticking around in Pittsburgh for a second season, Smith is not<\/a>. The Steelers do have two established tight ends in Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, but Washington did suffer a season-ending injury late in the season. Perhaps that\u2019s why Reuter has the Steelers taking TE Oscar Delp with their first of two picks in the fourth round<\/a>.<\/p>\n Delp never took off at Georgia with 70 catches for 854 yards and nine touchdowns over 34 career starts. His senior season did not go the way people hoped, with only 20 catches for 261 yards and one touchdown. However, he did have a previously unrealized hairline fracture in his foot that likely plagued him all season long. Perhaps getting fully healthy will allow him to develop more. Stay tuned for Steelers Depot\u2019s full tape breakdown on Delp!<\/p>\n 4th Round, Pick 135 \u2013 S Robert Spears-Jennings, Oklahoma<\/p>\n The Steelers brought in two safeties during free agency in Darnell Savage and Jaquan Brisker. However, Reuter doesn\u2019t think they\u2019re done. Spears-Jennings is another downhill tackler at safety<\/a>, which the Steelers appear to be loading up on. In 2025, he had 59 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, one interception, two pass breakups and one forced fumble. For his career, he has 178 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, five pass breakups, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.<\/p>\n