aechean'S MOCK DRAFT
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aechean'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON MAR 17, 2026

swings

  • aechean DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Omar Cooper Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Omar Cooper Jr.
WR Indiana
Parker Brailsford Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Parker Brailsford
C Alabama
Davison Igbinosun Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
Davison Igbinosun
CB Ohio State
Patrick Payton Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (PIT)
Patrick Payton
DL-EDGE LSU
Zane Durant Head Shot
PICK: 161 RND: 5 (PIT)
Zane Durant
DT Penn State
Raylen Wilson Head Shot
PICK: 216 RND: 6 (PIT)
Raylen Wilson
LB Georgia
Isaiah Nwokobia Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (PIT)
Isaiah Nwokobia
S SMU
Thaddeus Dixon Head Shot
PICK: 230 RND: 7 (PIT)
Thaddeus Dixon
CB North Carolina
Nick Barrett Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (PIT)
Nick Barrett
DL South Carolina
Draft Picks Received
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 4 (DET)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 5 (DAL)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 6 (DET)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 6 (DET)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 6 (DET)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 6 (DAL)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (DAL)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (DET)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (DAL)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Avieon Terrell Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (DET)
Avieon Terrell
CB Clemson
Anthony Lucas Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (DAL)
Anthony Lucas
DE-EDGE USC
Kamari Ramsey Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (DET)
Kamari Ramsey
S USC
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (LV)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Players Gained
Head Shot
Penei Sewell
OT
Head Shot
Tyler Smith
OT
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall B
ValueC NeedB TradesA+ FutureB-
The Steelers turned the phones into found money: B.

If confidence were a draft strategy, the Steelers would have aced it. Patrick Payton at the 135th pick is 116 spots clear of where he belonged.

Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. A whole weekend of picks and quarterback is somehow still a want.

That is a wide receiver worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. The veteran additions, Penei Sewell chief among them, give the class a floor the rookies alone would not.

Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.

Pick Analysis
Pick76 Rnd3 Omar Cooper Jr.
Somehow Omar Cooper Jr. was still sitting there in pick No. 76, and they pounced on premier wide receiver value. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick85 Rnd3 Parker Brailsford
Parker Brailsford at slot 85 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A minor itch, scratched.
Pick121 Rnd4 Davison Igbinosun
No edge and no loss on Davison Igbinosun in the 121st overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick135 Rnd4 Patrick Payton
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Patrick Payton. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick161 Rnd5 Zane Durant
Zane Durant in the 161st pick is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick216 Rnd6 Raylen Wilson
A conviction pick on Raylen Wilson at Round 6, Pick 35 that the board grades a round light. It fills a real need, too.
Pick224 Rnd7 Isaiah Nwokobia
A reasonable price with a little left over, Isaiah Nwokobia in the 224th overall pick. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick230 Rnd7 Thaddeus Dixon
Nice patience on Thaddeus Dixon, who had no business lasting to Round 7, Pick 14. The roster fit checks out.
Pick237 Rnd7 Nick Barrett
They left a pile of value on the table to take Nick Barrett this early at the Round 7 slot. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.