STEELERS MOCK DRAFT GRADE B-

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Letter grade with a four-component score, written analysis, and a pick-by-pick breakdown for every selection in this saved mock.

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B-

Pittsburgh Steelers

Nobody dealt better than the Steelers this weekend: B-.

by aechean · 2026 NFL Draft · 13 picks · 4 steals · 6 reaches
Value C+
Need B
Trades A+
Future D

Call it a hunch or call it a gamble, but the Steelers spent the Round 5 slot on Patrick Payton, a name most had 83 spots down the list. The bottom line is a respectable B-.

Getting Burks where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own. For all the activity, tight end went untouched, which is hard to explain.

A competent weekend that does not make headlines and does not need to.

Pick-by-Pick

R1.21 · Pick 21 · Caleb Lomu · OT · rank 28
In the 21st pick they get an anchor for the offensive line. Need was not the driver here.
R1.22 · Pick 22 · Sonny Styles · LB · rank 21
In the Round 1 slot they get a three-down second-level presence at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
R2.21 · Pick 53 · A.J. Haulcy · S · rank 49
A.J. Haulcy at pick 53 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the safety. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
R3.12 · Pick 76 · Germie Bernard · WR · rank 58
Germie Bernard in Round 3, Pick 12 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R3.21 · Pick 85 · Nicholas Singleton · RB · rank 108
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Nicholas Singleton. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
R3.35 · Pick 99 · Harold Perkins Jr. · LB · rank 132
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Harold Perkins Jr. well ahead of where he belonged. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
R4.21 · Pick 121 · Deion Burks · WR · rank 89
They will replay Deion Burks at Round 4, Pick 21 for years; that is how good the value is. It fills a real need, too.
R4.35 · Pick 135 · Drew Allar · QB · rank 156
A wild overpay on Drew Allar in pick No. 135, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
R5.21 · Pick 161 · Patrick Payton · DL-EDGE · rank 244
Value said wait; Patrick Payton in the 161st overall pick says they were not listening. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R6.35 · Pick 216 · Isaiah Nwokobia · S · rank 226
They paid a round early for Isaiah Nwokobia in the 216th pick, more than the board wanted. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
R7.8 · Pick 224 · Nick Barrett · DL · rank 251
Nick Barrett at the Round 7 slot is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
R7.14 · Pick 230 · Thaddeus Dixon · CB · rank 214
Nice patience on Thaddeus Dixon, who had no business lasting to slot 230. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
R7.21 · Pick 237 · TJ Hall · CB · rank 216
TJ Hall at pick 237 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. The roster fit checks out.
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