B-
Pittsburgh Steelers
Nothing loud, just a tidy B- for the Steelers.
by TBarin13 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 6 steals
· 1 reaches
The Steelers looked at the value chart, folded it up, and took Cade Klubnik at the 76th pick regardless, 64 picks early.
Getting Slaughter where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. They will regret leaving edge rusher for another day if the season turns on it.
It is not that Slaughter is a bad player; it is that the Steelers had louder needs to answer first. Job largely done: quarterback settled and 8 of 9 of the wish list covered.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Caleb Lomu. A minor itch, scratched.
Zachariah Branch in the 53rd pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Cade Klubnik at pick No. 76 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They zigged when the board said zag, taking Jake Slaughter at offensive lineman with edge rusher open.
You do not let a safety like Kamari Ramsey reach pick 99 and blink. They did not. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They robbed the room for Malik Muhammad here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. The roster fit checks out.
Joe Royer slid further than he should have, and No. 135 is lovely value for the tight end. It fills a real need, too.
Nice patience on Skyler Gill-Howard, who had no business lasting to the Round 5 slot. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They did well to land Sawyer Robertson in pick 216, just ahead of his grade. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A clean, defensible pick in Round 7, Pick 8 with a little surplus value in Keyshaun Elliott. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A tidy little value on Noah Whittington in pick No. 230, a step better than break-even. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They read the board right and Zavion Thomas was the payoff at the 237th pick. A need, and now a little less of one.