B+
Pittsburgh Steelers
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Steelers and Branch: B+.
by quietriot1 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 8 steals
· 1 reaches
The Steelers spent the weekend waiting on one name, and it fell: Zachariah Branch, the No. 61 name on the board, in Round 3, Pick 35. More right than wrong, and a B+ to match.
The cost of the Randall reach is exactly the players who went right after him. They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast.
The quarterback spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the quarterback spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 22 they get an anchor for the offensive line. Need was not the driver here.
The board had Chris Bell higher than the Round 2 slot, and the wide receiver fell to them anyway. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
The board fumbled Emmanuel McNeil-Warren all the way to the 76th pick, and they scooped it up. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Jake Golday in pick No. 85 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A cornerback of that caliber at pick 86 is the definition of value, full stop. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Taking Zachariah Branch in slot 99 is close to grand larceny; a wide receiver that good had no business lasting this long. The roster fit checks out.
Bud Clark at the 121st overall pick is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Fair-plus on Oscar Delp, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
By-the-book stuff, Beau Stephens at slot 161 squarely in line with his ranking. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Jeff Caldwell in the 216th pick is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Jadon Canady at Round 7, Pick 8 is the proof. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Kaden Wetjen at the Round 7 slot nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They reached a country mile for Adam Randall at No. 237, and the board is aghast. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.