B-
Pittsburgh Steelers
Grand theft in the Round 3 slot: the Steelers steal Slaughter and grade out a B-.
by SAMMY 123 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 4 steals
· 5 reaches
When a board-topper like Jake Slaughter slides to pick 99, you do not overthink it, and the Steelers did not. No fireworks, but a solid B-.
They will need Payton to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. They will regret leaving interior defensive lineman for another day if the season turns on it.
They left with quarterback solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.
Good work on the whole, with interior defensive lineman the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 21st overall pick they get the heartbeat of the defense at a price that makes it sweeter. A clean fit for the roster.
A straight-up fair deal on Eli Stowers at Round 2, Pick 21, value and slot in agreement. A need, and now a little less of one.
They read the board right and Germie Bernard was the payoff at pick 76. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Michael Taaffe slipping to pick No. 85 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
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.
No drama and no debate, Julian Neal went about where he belonged in No. 121. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Max Llewellyn in slot 135, miles early. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Value said wait; Cole Payton in the Round 5 slot says they were not listening. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They reached a country mile for Zavion Thomas at the Round 6 slot, and the board is aghast. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Nolan Rucci this early at pick No. 224. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Eli Heidenreich at Round 7, Pick 14 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It fills a real need, too.
They paid sticker price for Andre Fuller in pick 237, and that is fine. The roster fit checks out.