B-
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ponds should have been long gone. The Steelers pounced, and earned a B-.
by FrankDC ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 6 steals
· 1 reaches
This is the pick they will still be bragging about in July: D'Angelo Ponds, the No. 48 name on the board, stolen at slot 74.
That safety hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. Reaching for Casey left real value on the table behind him.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 29 they get a true top target. A real need, handled.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Emmanuel Pregnon at pick 53 is the proof. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Taking D'Angelo Ponds in Round 3, Pick 10 is close to grand larceny; a cornerback that good had no business lasting this long. A need, and now a little less of one.
Zachariah Branch slipping to the Round 3 slot is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. The roster fit checks out.
Garrett Nussmeier at the 98th pick is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Darrell Jackson Jr. in No. 115 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They paid sticker price for Harold Perkins Jr. in slot 135, and that is fine. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They jumped the gun on Kage Casey, taking him earlier than his grade liked. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Nate Boerkircher at slot 161 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Cole Payton in Round 6, Pick 30. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They took Le'Veon Moss at par in pick 216, which is nothing to complain about. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
No edge and no loss on Jimmy Rolder in the 224th overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
John Michael Gyllenborg at the 237th pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Fa'alili Fa'amoe in No. 250 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.