ian'S MOCK DRAFT
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ian'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 13, 2026

tear it down in pitt

  • ian DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Arvell Reese Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (PIT)
Arvell Reese
LB Ohio State
Olaivavega Ioane Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
Olaivavega Ioane
OG Penn State
Carson Beck Head Shot
PICK: 60 RND: 2 (PIT)
Carson Beck
QB Miami
Omar Cooper Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 63 RND: 2 (PIT)
Omar Cooper Jr.
WR Indiana
Michael Taaffe Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Michael Taaffe
S Texas
Eli Stowers Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Eli Stowers
TE Vanderbilt
Xavier Scott Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
Xavier Scott
CB Illinois
Niki Prongos Head Shot
PICK: 126 RND: 4 (PIT)
Niki Prongos
OT Stanford
DeMonte Capehart Head Shot
PICK: 136 RND: 4 (PIT)
DeMonte Capehart
DT Clemson
Davison Igbinosun Head Shot
PICK: 160 RND: 5 (PIT)
Davison Igbinosun
CB Ohio State
Draft Picks Received
Carson Beck Head Shot
PICK: 60 RND: 2 (BUF)
Carson Beck
QB Miami
Omar Cooper Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 63 RND: 2 (DEN)
Omar Cooper Jr.
WR Indiana
Niki Prongos Head Shot
PICK: 126 RND: 4 (BUF)
Niki Prongos
OT Stanford
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (DEN)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (LAR)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Skyler Gill-Howard Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (DEN)
Skyler Gill-Howard
DT Texas Tech
Players traded away
Head Shot
DK Metcalf
WR
Head Shot
Jalen Ramsey
CB
Head Shot
Jonnu Smith
TE
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall D
ValueB NeedB TradesF FutureB
The phones sank the Steelers this weekend: D.

Every swap seemed to tilt away from the Steelers, and the value they bled adds up to real damage. A D that will need time and luck to look better.

Every board in the league had Cooper Jr. lower, and that gap is the story. It is not that Prongos is a bad player; it is that the Steelers had louder needs to answer first.

That edge rusher hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. Stowers at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster.

Add it up and it is a weekend the front office will hope everyone forgets, edge rusher very much included.

Pick Analysis
Pick21 Rnd1 Arvell Reese
Good price on Arvell Reese in slot 21, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick53 Rnd2 Olaivavega Ioane
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Olaivavega Ioane at pick 53 is the proof. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Pick60 Rnd2 Carson Beck
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Carson Beck well ahead of where he belonged. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick63 Rnd2 Omar Cooper Jr.
They reached a country mile for Omar Cooper Jr. at Round 2, Pick 31, and the board is aghast. The roster fit checks out.
Pick76 Rnd3 Michael Taaffe
Michael Taaffe in the 76th pick is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick85 Rnd3 Eli Stowers
Taking Eli Stowers in the 85th overall pick is close to grand larceny; a tight end that good had no business lasting this long. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick121 Rnd4 Xavier Scott
They read the board right and Xavier Scott was the payoff at pick No. 121. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick126 Rnd4 Niki Prongos
Of all the spots to shop, they chose offensive lineman. Niki Prongos in the Round 4 slot leaves edge rusher and running back for later.
Pick136 Rnd4 DeMonte Capehart
DeMonte Capehart in Round 4, Pick 36 is fair value, right on his grade. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick160 Rnd5 Davison Igbinosun
Davison Igbinosun at the Round 5 slot nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.