B-
Pittsburgh Steelers
A respectable, level-headed haul for the Steelers: B-.
by SAMMY 123 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 5 steals
· 3 reaches
You can fall in love with a player. You are not supposed to marry him in the wrong round. The Steelers did exactly that with Cole Payton in the 121st overall pick. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B-.
Landing Stowers that late papers over a lot of smaller sins. The interior defensive lineman spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. Value over need was the throughline, for better and worse.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 21 they get a sideline-to-sideline linebacker. A clean fit for the roster.
Emmanuel Pregnon at slot 53 is money in the bank, a offensive lineman taken below his worth. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
No drama and no debate, Elijah Sarratt went about where he belonged in pick 76. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Eli Stowers in the 85th pick is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A safety of that caliber at pick No. 99 is the definition of value, full stop. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They reached into another round for Cole Payton, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A premium they did not need to pay, Malik Benson a notch or two before his time. It fills a real need, too.
A slide stopped in slot 161, with Charles Demmings worth more than the price. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Taylen Green at No. 216 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They reached a country mile for Trey Zuhn III at Round 7, Pick 8, and the board is aghast. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
Eli Heidenreich in the 237th pick is fair value, right on his grade. A need, and now a little less of one.