C+
Pittsburgh Steelers
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Steelers a C+.
by Aechean ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 17 picks
· 4 steals
· 6 reaches
When the story of this class is written, it opens with Patrick Payton at No. 153, a reach of 91 spots that the board flatly disagrees with. The good and the questionable cancel out to a C+.
They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. The Steelers indulged a want in Brailsford while a need in safety stayed open.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped safety, which is a strange place to end up. Getting Branch where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class.
Not a disaster, not a triumph, just a middling class.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a go-to option on the outside at a price that makes it sweeter.
In Round 1, Pick 22 they get a three-down second-level presence at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
In slot 23 they get a building block for the line at fair value. Need was not the driver here.
Zachariah Branch slipping to pick 76 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. It fills a real need, too.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Nicholas Singleton in No. 85, miles early. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A wild overpay on Harold Perkins Jr. in the 99th overall pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Drew Allar well ahead of where he belonged. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Of all the spots to shop, they chose offensive lineman. Parker Brailsford in pick 121 leaves safety for later.
Oscar Delp at pick No. 135 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They paid a round early for Charles Demmings in slot 137, more than the board wanted. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They reached into another round for Patrick Payton, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
No drama and no debate, Albert Regis went about where he belonged in the 161st overall pick. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
By-the-book stuff, Toriano Pride Jr. at No. 204 squarely in line with his ranking. The roster fit checks out.
Nothing to complain about; Jadon Canady went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
The board had Thaddeus Dixon higher than the 224th pick, and the cornerback fell to them anyway. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A quiet steal in the Round 7 slot: Aiden Fisher for less than the market said. A need, and now a little less of one.
They paid sticker price for Isaiah Jatta in pick 237, and that is fine. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.