B-
Pittsburgh Steelers
A respectable, level-headed haul for the Steelers: B-.
by Fly Eagles Fly ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 2 steals
· 1 reaches
Of all the ways to open, the Steelers chose the head-scratcher, spending the 135th pick on Dametrious Crownover with interior defensive lineman, edge rusher and other spots still wide open.
Leaving interior defensive lineman unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. That McNeil-Warren pick is the receipt they will wave around later. On the needs board they went 6 of 9, with quarterback the one that mattered most.
Good work on the whole, with interior defensive lineman the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 21 they get protection for the quarterback at fair value.
The board had Emmanuel McNeil-Warren higher than No. 53, and the safety fell to them anyway. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Malachi Fields at the Round 3 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Fair-plus on Garrett Nussmeier, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A straight-up fair deal on Chandler Rivers at pick No. 99, value and slot in agreement. A need, and now a little less of one.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Emmett Johnson at pick 121. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They zigged when the board said zag, taking Dametrious Crownover at offensive lineman with interior defensive lineman, edge rusher and other spots open.
No edge and no loss on Marlin Klein in the 161st pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. The roster fit checks out.