aechean'S MOCK DRAFT
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aechean'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON MAR 14, 2026

tradeUP

  • aechean DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Caleb Lomu Head Shot
PICK: 17 RND: 1 (PIT)
Caleb Lomu
OT Utah
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (PIT)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
Zane Durant Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Zane Durant
DT Penn State
Drew Allar Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Drew Allar
QB Penn State
Parker Brailsford Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Parker Brailsford
C Alabama
Patrick Payton Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
Patrick Payton
DL-EDGE LSU
Davison Igbinosun Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (PIT)
Davison Igbinosun
CB Ohio State
Keagen Trost Head Shot
PICK: 161 RND: 5 (PIT)
Keagen Trost
OT Missouri
Kaden Wetjen Head Shot
PICK: 214 RND: 6 (PIT)
Kaden Wetjen
WR Iowa
Jeremiah Wright Head Shot
PICK: 216 RND: 6 (PIT)
Jeremiah Wright
OG Auburn
Barion Brown Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (PIT)
Barion Brown
WR LSU
Robert Spears-Jennings Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (PIT)
Robert Spears-Jennings
S Oklahoma
Draft Picks Received
Caleb Lomu Head Shot
PICK: 17 RND: 1 (DET)
Caleb Lomu
OT Utah
Draft Picks Traded
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (LV)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (LV)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall C+
ValueC NeedB TradesA+ FutureD-
The Steelers won the weekend at the trade table. Grade: C+.

The tape said wait; the Steelers did not. Patrick Payton went at slot 121, a good 130 picks before the board was ready. Some smart calls, some head-scratchers, and a C+ in the wash.

They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. It is not that Brailsford is a bad player; it is that the Steelers had louder needs to answer first. The Thieneman pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch.

Leaving running back unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.

In the end, a coin-flip class: fine today, with a wide range of outcomes ahead.

Pick Analysis
Pick17 Rnd1 Caleb Lomu
In the Round 1 slot they get a plug-and-play piece up front, even if it was a touch early. Need was not the driver here.
Pick21 Rnd1 Sonny Styles
In No. 21 they get a downhill thumper at linebacker. A clean fit for the roster.
Pick53 Rnd2 Dillon Thieneman
Circle this one: Dillon Thieneman at Round 2, Pick 21 is a fall that decides a draft. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick76 Rnd3 Zane Durant
They left a pile of value on the table to take Zane Durant this early at pick 76. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick85 Rnd3 Drew Allar
Drew Allar at pick No. 85 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick99 Rnd3 Parker Brailsford
They zigged when the board said zag, taking Parker Brailsford at offensive lineman with running back and tight end open.
Pick121 Rnd4 Patrick Payton
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Patrick Payton. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick135 Rnd4 Davison Igbinosun
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Davison Igbinosun at Round 4, Pick 35. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick161 Rnd5 Keagen Trost
Nothing to complain about; Keagen Trost went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
Pick214 Rnd6 Kaden Wetjen
A reach for Kaden Wetjen in No. 214; a little patience would have been rewarded. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick216 Rnd6 Jeremiah Wright
Jeremiah Wright in the 216th pick lands just on the right side of the ledger. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
Pick224 Rnd7 Barion Brown
This one needs a full-page explanation: Barion Brown in slot 224, miles early. It fills a real need, too.
Pick237 Rnd7 Robert Spears-Jennings
A real head-scratcher, Robert Spears-Jennings in the 237th overall pick is miles ahead of his ranking. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.