aechean'S MOCK DRAFT

aechean'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON MAR 16, 2026

hmmmm

  • aechean DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 47 RND: 2 (PIT)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
Blake Miller Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
Blake Miller
OT Clemson
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Harold Perkins Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 78 RND: 3 (PIT)
Harold Perkins Jr.
LB LSU
Domonique Orange Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Domonique Orange
DT Iowa State
Parker Brailsford Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Parker Brailsford
C Alabama
Nicholas Singleton Head Shot
PICK: 100 RND: 3 (PIT)
Nicholas Singleton
RB Penn State
Drew Allar Head Shot
PICK: 125 RND: 4 (PIT)
Drew Allar
QB Penn State
Davison Igbinosun Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (PIT)
Davison Igbinosun
CB Ohio State
Jeremiah Wright Head Shot
PICK: 214 RND: 6 (PIT)
Jeremiah Wright
OG Auburn
Thaddeus Dixon Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (PIT)
Thaddeus Dixon
CB North Carolina
Isaiah Nwokobia Head Shot
PICK: 233 RND: 7 (PIT)
Isaiah Nwokobia
S SMU
Kaden Wetjen Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (PIT)
Kaden Wetjen
WR Iowa
Jaren Kanak Head Shot
PICK: 245 RND: 7 (PIT)
Jaren Kanak
TE Oklahoma
Draft Picks Received
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 47 RND: 2 (IND)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
Harold Perkins Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 78 RND: 3 (IND)
Harold Perkins Jr.
LB LSU
Nicholas Singleton Head Shot
PICK: 100 RND: 3 (JAX)
Nicholas Singleton
RB Penn State
Drew Allar Head Shot
PICK: 125 RND: 4 (NE)
Drew Allar
QB Penn State
Isaiah Nwokobia Head Shot
PICK: 233 RND: 7 (JAX)
Isaiah Nwokobia
S SMU
Jaren Kanak Head Shot
PICK: 245 RND: 7 (JAX)
Jaren Kanak
TE Oklahoma
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (IND)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 6 (NE)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (IND)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (NE)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Avieon Terrell Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (IND)
Avieon Terrell
CB Clemson
Dametrious Crownover Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (NE)
Dametrious Crownover
OT Texas A&M
Nate Boerkircher Head Shot
PICK: 161 RND: 5 (JAX)
Nate Boerkircher
TE Texas A&M
Jack Pyburn Head Shot
PICK: 216 RND: 6 (NE)
Jack Pyburn
LB-EDGE LSU
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall B-
ValueB- NeedB TradesC FutureB
No fireworks, just a tidy B- for the Steelers.

The Steelers spent real capital to be 48 picks early on Harold Perkins Jr., and the board is going to hold them to it. More right than wrong, and a B- to match.

Spending an early pick on offensive lineman with edge rusher open is the decision the grade keeps circling back to. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up.

The Branch pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged.

In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.

Pick Analysis
Pick47 Rnd2 Dillon Thieneman
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Dillon Thieneman at No. 47 is the proof. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick53 Rnd2 Blake Miller
By-the-book stuff, Blake Miller at the 53rd overall pick squarely in line with his ranking. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Pick76 Rnd3 Zachariah Branch
A slide stopped in slot 76, with Zachariah Branch worth more than the price. It fills a real need, too.
Pick78 Rnd3 Harold Perkins Jr.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Harold Perkins Jr. in pick 78, miles early. The roster fit checks out.
Pick85 Rnd3 Domonique Orange
A tidy little value on Domonique Orange in the Round 3 slot, a step better than break-even. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick99 Rnd3 Parker Brailsford
They zigged when the board said zag, taking Parker Brailsford at offensive lineman with edge rusher open.
Pick100 Rnd3 Nicholas Singleton
Nicholas Singleton in pick 100 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick125 Rnd4 Drew Allar
Drew Allar at slot 125 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick135 Rnd4 Davison Igbinosun
Davison Igbinosun slid further than he should have, and Round 4, Pick 35 is lovely value for the cornerback. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick214 Rnd6 Jeremiah Wright
No edge and no loss on Jeremiah Wright in No. 214; it is a wash and a sensible one. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
Pick224 Rnd7 Thaddeus Dixon
Thaddeus Dixon slipping to the 224th pick is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick233 Rnd7 Isaiah Nwokobia
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Isaiah Nwokobia at the 233rd overall pick. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick237 Rnd7 Kaden Wetjen
The board had Kaden Wetjen higher than pick No. 237, and the wide receiver fell to them anyway. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick245 Rnd7 Jaren Kanak
Value with a capital V on Jaren Kanak in the Round 7 slot, a genuine coup. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.