B-
Pittsburgh Steelers
Grand theft in the Round 3 slot: the Steelers steal Taaffe and grade out a B-.
by AtrixAnthony ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 2 steals
· 2 reaches
Somewhere a general manager is explaining how Michael Taaffe got past him. The Steelers do not have to explain a thing at slot 99. It does the job without flash, and the B- reflects it.
The Stephens pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over. With edge rusher and tight end unsolved, spending premium capital on offensive lineman is the choice that costs them.
The edge rusher hole is the one line item this class does not answer. Quarterback is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
Add it up and it is a good, unfussy class.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 21 they get a No. 1 receiver at fair value. A real need, handled.
No edge and no loss on Jacob Rodriguez in the 53rd overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. A need, and now a little less of one.
Nothing to complain about; Treydan Stukes went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Drew Shelton at the Round 3 slot is a conviction pick that outran the value. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Michael Taaffe at the 99th pick is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A market-rate interior defensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Darrell Jackson Jr.. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They took Julian Neal at par in Round 4, Pick 21, which is nothing to complain about. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They bypassed pressing needs at edge rusher and tight end to take Beau Stephens, an offensive lineman that was not the priority.
Drew Allar in slot 161 lands just on the right side of the ledger. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Somehow Jeff Caldwell was still sitting there in the 216th overall pick, and they pounced on premier wide receiver value. It fills a real need, too.
They did well to land Kaelon Black in the 230th pick, just ahead of his grade. The roster fit checks out.
Kaden Wetjen at pick 237 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the wide receiver. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.