Pro Football Network mock simulator<\/a>, only did a 1 Round mock, and while I saw trades, more on that below, I rejected them all considering it was just a 1 Round simulation.<\/p>\nIf you want to run your own simulation, feel free to do so and let us know in the comments how things went for you, but here is how Round 1 broke down for me on Steelers Draft Scenario 1.0.<\/p>\n
Round 1<\/p>\n
1. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
2. Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State
3. Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami (FL)
4. Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
5. Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
6. David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
7. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
8. Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
9. Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
10. Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
11. Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
12. Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
13. Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
14. Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
15. Makai Lemon, WR, USC
16. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
17. Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
18. Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
19. Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
20. Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn<\/p>\n
Trade Offers<\/p>\n
Philadelphia<\/p>\n
Green Bay<\/p>\n
Pick 52
\nPick 84
\nPick 120
\n2027 GB 2nd<\/p>\n
Considering I am only doing a 1 Round scenario, I didn\u2019t accept any of these trades, but several of these scenarios would be extremely enticing for the Steelers. The trade with the Packers, which would see the Steelers giving up their 1st Round pick, but gain a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, along with a 2nd Round pick in the 2027 draft is certainly intriguing.<\/p>\n
With those trades rejected, it is time to evaluate what the Steelers could do with their 1st Round pick. When you look at positions which still have quality players, there are many.<\/p>\n
In this scenario I was looking to see if there was a wide receiver I thought would be worthy of a pick at No. 21, but Tyson, Tate, Lemon and even Omar Cooper Jr. being gone certainly puts a damper on that idea. There is still a lot of trench players, both offensively and defensively, the Steelers could add. Taking a look at defenders, the top two safeties are off the board, but some talent at ILB, mainly CJ Allen, remain on the board. Oh, and I have to add that Ty Simpson, quarterback from Alabama, has yet to be drafted in this scenario.<\/p>\n
When I look at the options I have, here are the players I\u2019m considering with pick No. 21:<\/p>\n
Olaivavega Ioane, OG, Penn State
\nKadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
\nPeter Woods, DT, Clemson
\nKC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M<\/p>\n
Those are the big names remaining for the Steelers as eligible picks in Round 1. Here is an overview of each player:<\/p>\n
Olaivavega Ioane<\/p>\n
\u201cPrototypical guard for physical run schemes with thick limbs, a broad frame and plus core strength. Ioane plays with excellent contact balance and technique on both base blocks and double teams. He uses his hips and hands for leverage and displacement when drive blocking. However, he lacks athleticism and foot quickness to operate effectively as a move blocker. He pass sets with good posture and a firm punch and can anchor against power. Though quicker at a lighter weight in 2025, he will struggle with twitchy interior defenders who cross his face in the run game and attack his edges in protection. Despite scheme dependence, Ioane projects as an early starter with a high floor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kadyn Proctor<\/p>\n
\u201cProctor is a mass of humanity with rare size and length at his command. He\u2019s capable as a move blocker but shines when rolling downhill as a bona-fide people mover with bulldozing power. However, slants and quick first steps beat him to the spot in the run game. When set and centered, Proctor is a roadblock to speed-to-power charges. He has a stout anchor and strong hands to stall the rush in its track. He struggles to mirror athletes in space and lacks the range to protect deeper pocket drops against speed. Inconsistency in pass protection hasn\u2019t helped his draft standing, but he still has the potential to become a good right tackle or very good guard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Peter Woods<\/p>\n
\u201cWoods is a young interior defender with room to add play strength as he fills out his frame. He\u2019s not a pure one- or two-gap fit, but he\u2019s capable in both schemes. He plays with good lower-body explosiveness into initial contact, keeping his hands and feet synced to work around blocks when needed. He\u2019s more of an active brawler than double-team eating tree stump. Shorter arms allow blockers to crowd his frame and force him to fight harder at the point. Yet, his ability to overtake and win as the rep progresses is impressive. He lacks quick-win talent as a solo rusher, but he\u2019s fully functional as part of a pocket-collapsing collective. His 2024 tape might be a better representation of his upside, but Woods clearly has the potential to become a solid starter in an even front.\u201d<\/p>\n
KC Concepcion<\/p>\n
\u201cConcepcion offers immediate burst and separation into space. He\u2019s elusive in beating press and getting into breaks with minimum damage from handsy coverage. While he has a one-speed approach, he can snap off routes with alarming suddenness, making him extremely difficult to match at leveraged break points. He\u2019s instinctive against zone. He\u2019s also a nightmare for man coverage on choice routes and near the goal line. He\u2019s quicker than fast, with more value on utility throws utilizing run after catch. Concepcion\u2019s ability to quickly uncover should be very appealing to teams with spotty protection and a young quarterback.\u201d<\/p>\n
When I look at these prospects, I could make a case for all three of them to be the Steelers top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, I\u2019m looking for a player who can contribute on Day 1 to help this team. Concepcion is a great talent, and would fit well with the Steelers, but I feel that\u2019s a reach in Round 1. Woods would be down the depth chart, and would signal a likely end of Keeanu Benton\u2019s time with Pittsburgh after the 2026 season. Proctor is an intriguing prospect, but I\u2019m not ready to give up on Broderick Jones and\/or Dylan Cook yet.<\/p>\n
Looking back on things now, I just can\u2019t seem to pass on Olaivavega Ioane. If he falls to 21 it would feel similar to the David DeCastro fall when he came out of Stanford. With that said\u2026<\/p>\n
With the 21st overall pick, the Pittsburgh Steelers select offensive guard Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State.<\/p>\n
What do you think of this selection? Would you have taken a different position? A different prospect? Let us know in the comment section below, and be sure to stay tuned to SCN<\/a> for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the rest of free agency and the upcoming NFL Draft.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It is hard to believe, but the 2026 NFL Draft is just days away, and it is time…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":859402,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2055],"tags":[7,6,520,57,2360,426],"class_list":{"0":"post-859401","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-pittsburgh-steelers","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-nfl","10":"tag-pittsburgh","11":"tag-pittsburgh-steelers","12":"tag-pittsburghsteelers","13":"tag-steelers"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116364627938435149","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/859401","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=859401"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/859401\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/859402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=859401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=859401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=859401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}