B
Pittsburgh Steelers
Taaffe should have been long gone. The Steelers pounced, and earned a B.
by Lamtc4 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 6 steals
· 1 reaches
Thirty-one other rooms let Michael Taaffe slide, and the Steelers were the ones holding the card at Round 4, Pick 21. Highway robbery. The bottom line is a respectable B.
The cost of the Kelly reach is exactly the players who went right after him. The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
They went 6 of 9 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 21st pick they get a sideline-to-sideline linebacker, and a steal at that. A real need, handled.
Omar Cooper Jr. at the Round 2 slot is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
D'Angelo Ponds at pick No. 54 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
No edge and no loss on Ted Hurst in pick 85; it is a wash and a sensible one. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A tidy little value on Sam Hecht in slot 99, a step better than break-even. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Michael Taaffe in No. 121 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Drew Allar at Round 5, Pick 33 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Zane Durant in the 211th overall pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Jack Kelly this early at the Round 7 slot. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Circle this one: Kendrick Law at the 230th pick is a fall that decides a draft. A need, and now a little less of one.