B-
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers turned the phones into found money: B-.
by aechean ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 16 picks
· 6 steals
· 4 reaches
The Steelers spent real capital to be 83 picks early on Wesley Williams, and the board is going to hold them to it.
The Lew pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch. The phones were where this weekend was really won.
With running back unsolved, spending premium capital on offensive lineman is the choice that costs them. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through running back.
A competent weekend that does not make headlines and does not need to.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 21 they get protection for the quarterback. Need was not the driver here.
The eyebrow-raiser of the weekend. They went offensive lineman with Caleb Lomu while clear needs at running back sat open.
Nothing to complain about; A.J. Haulcy went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They read the board right and Antonio Williams was the payoff at the 76th pick. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They jumped the gun on Darrell Jackson Jr., taking him earlier than his grade liked. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A big swing on Harold Perkins Jr. at pick 86, well ahead of any board in the building. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Ja'Kobi Lane at slot 99 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It fills a real need, too.
Hard to square with the roster. With positions of obvious need still on the board, Connor Lew adds an offensive lineman and leaves running back untouched.
Of all the spots to shop, they chose offensive lineman. Parker Brailsford in the 135th overall pick leaves running back for later.
Drew Allar at pick No. 161 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Ephesians Prysock at Round 6, Pick 23 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They barely believed it either: Dallen Bentley still on the board at No. 216. A need, and now a little less of one.
Value said wait; Nick Barrett in the Round 7 slot says they were not listening. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Wesley Williams in pick 230, miles early. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
You do not let a cornerback like Thaddeus Dixon reach the 237th overall pick and blink. They did not. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Steal is underselling it; Zavion Thomas at slot 238 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.