With the 21st pick the Steelers select …
The anticipation, excitement and maybe even some apprehension of Steelers football fans is about to peak when Roger Goodell steps to the podium at Acrisure Stadium on Thursday and sets the NFL Draft into motion with the first pick by Las Vegas Raiders some time after 8 p.m.
The logistics nightmare might still be going on at that point but Steelers Nation will be watching and you can expect them to be vocal at what’s sure to be a jam-packed site as the picks come off the board.
The Steelers sit at No. 21 in the first round.
Will they trade up, trade down, stand pat? Who will they take?
Those questions will finally be answered.
So who will it be?
Let’s delve into what might happen.
First, to address all those zealous fans who want the Steelers to take a quarterback with their top pick, that isn’t happening.
Or at least you should hope not.
The big name here is Ty Simpson of Alabama. Nice prospect, not worthy of the 21st pick. There’s much better value out there.
The Steelers likely will take a QB later on in the draft and here’s a little advice on that.
The Steelers met Penn State’s Drew Allar at the combine and again after that.
Watching Allar closely over the past few years, my assessment is, yeah, he has all the tools, big, strong, intelligent, strong arm, but, no, he just doesn’t have the mental makeup to eventually lead a good team. Nice guy, polite, pleasant, and absolutely horrible when the pressure is on.
Allar threw game-losing late interceptions against Notre Dame with a chance for Penn State to reach the national championship game on the line two years ago and against Oregon in overtime this past season when a pass was inexplicably called on the first play, one possession after the Nittany Lions had shredded the Ducks on the ground for a touchdown.
Allar could be successful guiding a mediocre or worse team when there is no pressure to win, but that’s not Pittsburgh.
Miami’s Carson Beck? Good with that. LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier? Fine with that, too. But please, not Allar.
Back to the first round.
Mock drafts seem to favor the Steelers staying where they are and snapping up an offensive lineman.
One name that pops up a lot is Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane.
Forget this name. He’ll be long gone by time Pittsburgh picks. Only a trade up will be able to land Ioane, who most rank as the best guard in the draft. Don’t see that happening.
More likely to fall to the Steelers as far as linemen go are one of the many offensive tackles pegged as first-rounders.
Some names in mock drafts have Georgia’s Monroe Feeling or Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor available here. Is so, grab either, but I don’t see either of them falling to the Steelers.
More likely Clemson’s Blake Miller might be there for the taking.
If the Steelers don’t address their offensive line in the first round, that would likely mean they’re targeting a wide receiver. Yeah they have DK Metcalf and signed Michael Pittman Jr. but a young stud to join then could help their offense immensely.
What I remember most about Metcalf last year was getting suspended for two games due to an altercation with a fan, which almost cost the Steelers a playoff spot, and dropping a perfect, long pass from Aaron Rodgers in the playoff loss against the Texans that may have completely changed the outcome of that game had he caught it.
This is a strong draft for wide receivers and a slew will go in the first round.
Names like Carnell Tate of Ohio State, Jordyn Tyson of Arizona State, Makai Lemon of USC and Omar Cooper Jr. of Indiana aren’t a good bet to be there at No. 21, but perhaps Washington’s Denzel Boston or Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion could drop to Pittsburgh.
Either of those would be a solid pick.
My thoughts are sit tight and take the best offensive lineman or wide receiver that drops to you. If you want to trade up slightly to get one, the Steelers have enough picks (12) to do that, just as long as they don’t go overboard.
The final guess here is that when pick No. 21 pops up late Thursday night, Steelers fans will hear: “With the 21st pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select … Blake Miller of Clemson.”
Rob Burchianti is sports editor of the 蘑菇视频 and can be reached at rburchianti@heraldstandard.com