B-
Pittsburgh Steelers
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Steelers a B-.
by SAMMY 123 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 5 steals
· 5 reaches
The move everyone will second-guess came early. The Steelers reached some 81 spots for Cole Payton, and value like that does not grow back.
The Slaughter value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. They will regret leaving edge rusher for another day if the season turns on it.
Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 21st overall pick they get a green-dot type in the middle, outstanding value to boot. A real need, handled.
A tidy little value on D'Angelo Ponds in the Round 2 slot, a step better than break-even. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Value with a capital V on Germie Bernard in pick 76, a genuine coup. A need, and now a little less of one.
They let Michael Taaffe come to them and pounced at Round 3, Pick 21. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Taking Jake Slaughter in the 99th pick is close to grand larceny; an offensive lineman that good had no business lasting this long. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
They talked themselves into Cole Payton at No. 121, and the board did not agree. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A quiet steal in slot 135: Justin Joly for less than the market said. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A wild overpay on Zavion Thomas in pick 161, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Eli Heidenreich. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They paid sticker price for Bryson Eason in Round 7, Pick 8, and that is fine. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Nolan Rucci in pick No. 230 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
Diego Pavia at No. 237 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.