{"id":632224,"date":"2026-03-04T18:59:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T18:59:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/632224\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T18:59:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T18:59:25","slug":"steelers-post-combine-7-round-mock-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/632224\/","title":{"rendered":"Steelers Post-Combine 7-Round Mock Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"PittsburghMark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

The 2026 NFL Draft process is entering the home stretch following the close of the NFL Combine on Sunday in Indianapolis, and that means it\u2019s time for Pittsburgh Steelers mock draft season to kick into high gear.<\/p>\n

Usually, after a week of watching prospects and talking to scouts and coaches, I feel like I have a pretty good handle on what the Steelers are thinking when it comes to this year\u2019s draft class. <\/p>\n

This year, it\u2019s less clear than ever, with a handful of positions that could still be in the mix in the first round, let alone new players. That\u2019s kind of uncertainty that a new coaching staff brings to the table.<\/p>\n

Adding to the uncertainly is that the Steelers have too many draft picks. There\u2019s no way that 12 rookies would make this team, so making all 12 picks seems foolish. But it\u2019s not so easy when just doing a mock draft to make them go away.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s probably more likely that the Steelers trade away picks for players, or trade 2026 picks for 2027 picks, but in this mock, I had to find a way to whittle down that number somehow.<\/p>\n

I traded away two and still have 10, and frankly, that\u2019s probably still too many, but I just couldn\u2019t come up with the scenarios that made sense to make more moves.<\/p>\n

With so much salary cap space and so many pending free agents, we\u2019ll know a lot more about this draft class after the free agent period, so we\u2019ll do another one of these in a couple of weeks before the final one right before April\u2019s draft.<\/p>\n

Steelers Now Mock Draft Rules: For first-round picks, they must be within three spots of the selection on the NFL Mock Draft Database<\/a> consensus big board, second-round picks must be within five spots, third-round picks with seven spots, fourth-round picks within 10 spots and later picks within 15 spots.<\/p>\n

Trade: Steelers trade pick No. 21 in the first round and pick No. 75 in the third round to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for pick No. 15 in the first round and a 2027 fourth-round draft pick.<\/strong><\/p>\n

First round, No. 15 overall: WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State<\/p>\n

\"PittsburghArizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second half at Mountain America Stadium on Oct 18, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; . \u2014 Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

If you eliminate his somewhat-extensive injury history from the equation, I think Jordyn Tyson is the most talented wide receiver in the draft class. He has an elite combination of traits that could make him one of the very best receivers in the NFL.<\/p>\n

While he has been injured often, it\u2019s a combination of ailments that doesn\u2019t necessarily look repeatable. He missed one season with a major knee injury, part of another with a broken collarbone, and had a hamstring injury this year. That\u2019s not a real pattern of anything other than randomness, and while his hamstring injury lingering until the present day has muddied the waters when it comes to his draft evaluation (Tyson did not run at the NFL Combine), I don\u2019t think it hurts his long-term projection much.<\/p>\n

The Steelers scouted Arizona State as much as any team in the country last season, with an obvious interest in both Tyson and Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt, who decided not to come out after his mid-season injury.<\/p>\n

They also have a big-time connection on the coaching staff, as Tyson\u2019s wide receivers coach is none other than Hines Ward. While Mike McCarthy<\/a> and Ward don\u2019t necessarily have a lot of overlap, Omar Khan<\/a> has been on the Steelers\u2019 staff since Ward\u2019s fourth season.<\/p>\n

In terms of the fit, well, there isn\u2019t an offense that Tyson would look bad in, and Khan has repeatedly shown a willingness to take chances on otherwise talented players whose stock has fallen because of injury concerns.<\/p>\n

The trade-up is expensive, and to a team with fewer picks, with the likelihood of a player like Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion or Omar Cooper being available at No. 21, you could make an argument it\u2019s not really worth it. But I was trying to find a way to take fewer picks, not more, and Tyson is the one elite talent that I think has a decent chance of falling to within the Steelers\u2019 range.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Others considered at 15: USC WR Makai Lemon, Penn State<\/a> OG Vega Ioane, Clemson DT Peter Woods.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Others considered at 21: Clemson CB Avieon Terrell, Washington WR Denzel Boston, Alabama G\/T Kadyn Proctor, Florida DT Caleb Banks, Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion.<\/p>\n

Second round, No. 53 overall: CB Keionte Scott, Miami<\/p>\n

\"PittsburghMiami cornerback Keionte Scott in a game against Pitt on Nov. 29, 2025. \u2014 Ed Thompson \/ Pittsburgh Sports Now<\/p>\n

The Steelers have not traditionally invested heavily in the slot cornerback position, but that changed in a big way in 2025, when the team traded starting safety Minkah Fitzpatrick for cornerback Jalen Ramsey.<\/a><\/p>\n

That plan didn\u2019t end up playing out the way the Steelers hoped, with Juan Thornhill unable to fill in at safety and Ramsey being moved to the back of the defense. It\u2019s still unclear where Ramsey will be playing in 2026, but with him turning 32 years old this fall, the intended investment in the slot should still be part of the team\u2019s draft plans this year, regardless of where Ramsey plays.<\/p>\n

Scott is probably a slot or zone cornerback only at 5-foot-11, 193 pounds, but he is an explosive athlete, and when you look at the Steelers\u2019 2025 secondary, their most-glaring weakness was a lack of team speed. Scott didn\u2019t run at the combine, but his tape shows plenty of burst, and he\u2019s an above-average run defender, especially for his size, which helps make the projection to a Nickel role an easy one.<\/p>\n

Others considered: Louisville WR Chris Bell, Georgia WR Zachariah Branch, Tennessee WR Chris Brazzell, Indiana CB D\u2019angelo Ponds, Iowa G\/T Gennings Dunker, Arizona State CB Keith Abney II, Cincinnati LB Jake Golday, Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez, LSU S A.J. Haulcy, Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt, Alabama WR Germie Bernard<\/p>\n

Third round, No. 85 overall: DT Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State<\/p>\n

\"PittsburghFlorida State Seminoles defensive lineman Darrell Jackson Jr. (6) prepares for the snap during the first quarter against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium on Nov 23, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA. \u2014 Melina Myers \/ Imagn ImagesCredit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The Steelers have made big strides in their defensive line rebuild over the last couple of classes, with Keeanu Benton<\/a>, Derrick Harmon<\/a> and Yahya Black<\/a> looking like the young nucleus of what could be a very successful unit down the road.<\/p>\n

But with Cam Heyward<\/a> entering the final year of his contract \u2014 and probably more importantly, his age 37 season \u2014 the Steelers aren\u2019t quite done along the defensive line just yet.<\/p>\n

Jackson is a big bear of a man, another very strong run stopper. He\u2019s a bit inconsistent at times, but has enormous 34 3\/4-inch arms at 6-foot-5 1\/2 and has played over the A gap for Florida State and has two-gapped, as well, which makes an easy projection to be a nose tackle in the Steelers\u2019 3-4 base defense. He can also play three-technique, though his pass-rush moves are not as refined as Benton\u2019s were with a similar collegiate resume.<\/p>\n

Others considered: Georgia Tech G Keylan Rutledge, Penn State S Zakee Wheatley, Florida G Jake Slaughter, Iowa State DT Domonique Orange, LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier, Penn State QB Drew Allar, Georgia State WR Ted Hurst<\/p>\n

Third round, No. 99 overall: FS Genesis Smith, Arizona<\/p>\n

\"PittsburghArizona Wildcats defensive back Genesis Smith (12) against the Baylor Bears at Casino Del Sol Stadium on Nov 22, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA. \u2014 Mark J. Rebilas \/ Imagn ImagesCredit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The Steelers tried a stop-gap solution to replace Fitzpatrick in 2025 and it failed. Whatever the answer is in 2025, this is a shot at finding the long-term replacement for the future. Genesis Smith is a pure centerfielder at free safety, and he has the athleticism and explosiveness to be a real playmaker from that position, as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t run the 40-yard dash at the combine, but he did post an absurd 42.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-8 broad jump. At 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds, if his 40 time is even average, he\u2019s going to have an elite Relative Athletic Score.<\/p>\n

He has solid production, as well, with four interceptions and 14 passes defended over his last two seasons at Arizona.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He\u2019s not necessarily the hardest hitter or the surest tackler, which is why he\u2019s going to be around at the end of the third round, but in terms of pure cover safeties, he might be the best in the draft class.<\/p>\n

Others considered: Oklahoma DT Gracen Halton, USC WR Jacobi Lane, Alabama LB Deontae Lawson, Notre Dame G Billy Schrauth, UConn WR Skyler Bell, Duke CB Chandler Rivers, Cincinnati DT Dontay Corleone, Texas A&M CB Will Lee III, Southeastern Lousiana DT Kaleb Proctor<\/p>\n

Fourth round, No. 121 overall: G Beau Stephens, Iowa<\/p>\n

\"PittsburghIowa offensive lineman Beau Stephens (70) celebrates with running back Kaleb Johnson in the second quarter against Nebraska during a NCAA football game on Friday, Nov. 25, 2022, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. \u2014 Bryon Houlgrave \/ The Register \/ USA TODAY NETWORKCredit: Bryon Houlgrave\/The Register \/ USA TODAY NETWORK<\/p>\n

I expect the Steelers to make some kind of signing at guard in free agency, and maybe if they commit enough resources to that position there, it might take guard off the board for the team in the draft, but as things stand right now, they could use at least one more linemen to complete their rebuild project, and I really like Beau Stephens out of Iowa.<\/p>\n

Compared to some of the Steelers\u2019 other picks, he\u2019s a real pass-block technician. He did not allow a single sack over his final three seasons at Iowa. He\u2019s not the biggest guy, but he\u2019s big enough at 6-foot-5 1\/2, 315 pounds, and he\u2019d fit right in next to Zach Frazier<\/a> and Mason McCormick<\/a> in the middle of the Pittsburgh offensive line.<\/p>\n

Others considered: TCU S Bud Clark, South Carolina S Jalon Kilgore, LSU LB Harold Perkins, Georgia CB Daylen Everette, Miami QB Carson Beck, Texas S Michael Taaffe, Oklahoma WR Deion Burks, Missouri DL Chris McClellan, Alabama DL Tim Keenan III, North Dakota State WR Bryce Lance, Arkansas QB Taylen Green<\/p>\n

Fifth round, No. 135 overall: WR Kevin Coleman, Missouri<\/p>\n

\"PittsburghMissouri Tigers wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. (3) runs the ball against the Virginia Cavaliers during the third quarter at EverBank Stadium on Dec 27, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA.. \u2014 Travis Register \/ Imagn ImagesCredit: Travis Register-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Kevin Coleman is slightly undersized, but has a lot of experience as a four-year college player that played in four different offenses over an itinerant collegiate career.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He seems like a perfect slot option to complement Tyson and DK Metcalf, while being a different enough player compared to Roman Wilson that there\u2019s room for both of them, should the former third-round pick pan out the way the Steelers still hope he will.<\/p>\n

Others considered: Penn State RB Kaytron Allen, Alabama IOL Parker Brailsford, Michigan LB Jaishawn Barham, Indiana IOL Pat Coogan, Michigan DL Rayshaun Benny, Texas A&M LB Taurean York, Penn State DT Zane Durant, Kentucky IOL Jalen Farmer, Oregon LB Bryce Boettcher, North Dakota State QB Cole Payton<\/p>\n

Fifth round, No. 159 overall: RB Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest<\/p>\n

I expect that the Steelers will probably take care of the running back position in free agency, but if they don\u2019t, Demond Claiborne is a ready-made replacement for Kenneth Gainwell<\/a>, with a 4.37-second 40-yard dash and great hands.<\/p>\n

Others considered: Oregon CB Jadon Canady, Cal CB Hezeiah Masses, Texas A&M IOL Ar\u2019maj Reed-Adams, Baylor WR Josh Cameron, Indiana LB Aiden Fisher, Ole Miss DL Zxavian Harris, Indiana RB Kaelon Black, Indiana S Louis Moore, Washington CB Ephesians Prysock, Texas Tech DL Skyler Gill-Howard, Miami WR C.J. Daniels, USC S Bishop Fitzgerald, TCU WR Eric McAlister, Clemson DT DeMonte Capehart<\/p>\n

Trade: No. 213 and No. 214 in the sixth round to the Washington Commanders for No. 186 in the sixth round and a 2027 sixth-round pick. I\u2019ve now added two picks to the 2027 class, and moved up in the sixth round.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sixth round, No. 186 overall: LB Lander Barton, Utah<\/p>\n

\"PittsburghUtah Utes linebacker Lander Barton (8) on offense scores a touchdown pass against the UCLA Bruins during the first half at Rose Bowl on Aug 30, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA. \u2014 Gary A. Vasquez \/ Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The Steelers have a player they hope is a big part of the future at the linebacker position who has a coverage-first skillset in Payton Wilson. The addition of Lander Barton would give them a totally different dimension. Barton is huge for an off-ball linebacker at 6-foot-5 and 233 pounds. Both of his older brothers have played in the NFL before him.<\/p>\n

Others considered at 186: Texas IOL D.J. Campbell, Michigan State IOL Matt Gulbin, Baylor QB Sawyer Robertson, Ole Miss WR De\u2019Zhaun Stribling, Kentucky RB Seth McGowna, USC LB Eric Gentry, Auburn IOL Jeremiah Wright, Texas A&M DL Albert Regis, John Carroll WR Tyren Montgomery, Virginia RB J\u2019Mari Taylor, Buffalo LB Red Murdock<\/p>\n

Others considered at 213, 214: Navy WR Eli Heidenreich, Miami S Jakobe Thomas, NC State CB Devon Marshall, Georgia Tech WR Eric Rivers, Stephen F. Austin CB Charles Demmings, Clemson RB Adam Randall, Illinois QB Luke Altmeyer, Iowa WR\/KR Kaden Wetjen, Texas Tech S Cole Wisniewski<\/p>\n

Seventh round, No. 224 overall: CB Andre Fuller, Toledo<\/p>\n

The Steelers tried to draft a big outside cornerback that projected to move to safety at the NFL level a couple of classes ago, when they took Ryan Watts late out of Texas. Watts seemed to be having some success in making the transition, when a neck injury ended his career in the preseason of his rookie season.<\/p>\n

This is another bite at the same apple, as Fuller is a 6-foot-1, 200-pound outside cornerback who had solid testing, with a 4.49-second 40-yard dash and a 35-inch vertical for a 9.19 Relative Athletic Score.<\/a><\/p>\n

Fuller isn\u2019t quite fluid enough in man coverage to stick at outside cornerback at the NFL level without some improvements, but he could project as a big zone defender or a safety, as well as an above-average special teamer.<\/p>\n

Seventh round, No. 227 overall: OT Nolan Rucci, Penn State<\/p>\n

\"PittsburghPenn State tackle Nolan Rucci in a game against Nevada on Aug. 30, 2025 \u2014 Matthew Lynch \/ Nittany Sports Now<\/p>\n

A rarity for a late-round offensive tackle prospect, Nolan Rucci is a better pass protector than he is a run blocker. The Steelers are looking for a new No. 4 tackle with Calvin Anderson just released, and Rucci could fit that mold.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Others considered: Kansas QB Jalon Daniels, Indiana RB Roman Herby, UTSA RB Robert Henry Jr., Cincinnati WR Cyrus ALlen, Oklahoma State Robert Spears-Jennings, Notre Dam\u0119 S Jalen Stroman<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMentioned In This Article: 2026 NFL Draft<\/a> Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a> Steelers<\/a> top<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"2026 NFL Draft\u2022Steelers Analysis Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The 2026 NFL Draft process is entering the home stretch…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":632225,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[92294,1318,1317,1315,1316,1545,62,2779,1399,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-632224","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-2026-nfl-draft","9":"tag-football","10":"tag-ncaa","11":"tag-ncaa-football","12":"tag-ncaafootball","13":"tag-pittsburgh-steelers","14":"tag-sports","15":"tag-steelers","16":"tag-top","17":"tag-united-states","18":"tag-unitedstates","19":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116172447589649545","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=632224"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632224\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/632225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=632224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=632224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=632224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}