B-
Pittsburgh Steelers
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Steelers a B-.
by SAMMY 123 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 4 steals
· 2 reaches
The Steelers did not so much draft Cole Payton as overpay for him, 63 picks clear of his grade. It sets an uneasy tone for the weekend.
That is a cornerback worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped interior defensive lineman, which is a strange place to end up. They left with quarterback solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but interior defensive lineman.
Pick-by-Pick
No drama and no debate, Sonny Styles went about where he belonged in pick No. 21. The roster fit checks out.
Germie Bernard in slot 53 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Eli Stowers at pick 76 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A need, and now a little less of one.
Nice patience on Michael Taaffe, who had no business lasting to the 85th overall pick. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Elijah Sarratt in the 99th pick is a gift, value that borders on unfair. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Circle this one: Treydan Stukes at Round 4, Pick 21 is a fall that decides a draft. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Cole Payton this early at the 135th overall pick. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They reached a country mile for Keagen Trost at Round 5, Pick 21, and the board is aghast. It adds depth where they could use a little.
They took Jeremiah Wright at par in pick 216, which is nothing to complain about. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
TJ Hall in the Round 7 slot is fair value, right on his grade. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Zavion Thomas at the 230th pick is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the wide receiver. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Eli Heidenreich at pick No. 237 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It fills a real need, too.