Now that the Senior Bowl is behind us, it is officially mock draft season.  It is still very early on in the process however.  We do not have official measurements on the majority of the draft prospects, and teams have not filled out their rosters via free agency.  It’s still a good exercise to get familiar with the prospects that fill the Steelers needs.  With that in mind, lets kick off our first Steelers mock draft of 2026:

Round 1 (21): Ty Simpson QB – Alabama

Don’t shoot the messenger here.  I would definitely prefer the Steelers not draft a quarterback in this draft, but word is the Steelers have a good deal of interest in this player.  Simpson started out the season red hot, before falling off in the second half.  People will point to the lack of running game, and spotty protection as the cause of Simpson’s issues.

He is an exceptional processor with accuracy, traits you love at the position.  The downside to Simpson is he is small in stature, with average athleticism and arm strength. His limited starts in college are also a red flag.  For me, there’s too many negatives to draft Simpson this early. For the Steelers…… we’ll see.  They do have a very recent track record of reaching for a quarterback in round one.  See Kenny Pickett.

Round 2 (53): Chris Bell WR – Louisville

Steelers catch a break landing Chris Bell in the second round. This is a bit of a risk given that Bell tore his ACL on November 22nd.  The upside of Bell is a size/speed receiver who has been compared to AJ Brown.  Bell excels after the catch, breaking tackles and using his speed to create big plays.  He is a bit raw as a route runner however.  Most had Chris Bell as a first round pick if he had not gotten injured.  He is worth a second round flyer by the very receiver needy Steelers here at 53.

Round 3a (76): Gennings Dunker OT – Iowa

I mean let’s start with the obvious.  Look at this guy, and tell me he doesn’t scream Steeler.  Dunker made an impression at the Senior Bowl with his willingness to move around the offensive line.  He took snaps at tackle, guard, and even center.  Dunker probably ends up a guard in the NFL.  At worst he’s a versatile piece as a backup his first few years in the league.

Round 3b (85): Zakee Wheatley S – Penn St.

The Steelers safety position is very much up in the air right now.  Jalen Ramsey’s contract makes him very costly at the position, while DeShon Elliot is coming off a season ending injury.  Whealtey is a versatile player having nearly split his snaps from box and deep safety.  He even logged 84 snaps in the slot for Penn St. in 2025.  Playing his college football in such close proximity to Pittsburgh does not hurt his cause one bit.

Round 3c (99): Jalon Kilgore CB – South Carolina

Jalon Kilgore projects as a slot corner in the NFL.  He played nearly 500 snaps at that position in 2025 for South Carolina, along with another 150 as a box safety. Kilgore is a ball hawk with eight career interceptions in his college career.  This would be a nice piece to add to the Steelers secondary in 2026.

Round 4a (121): Ted Hurst WR – Georgia St.

With so many draft picks to work with in this Steelers mock draft, it would be hard not to double dip at wide receiver given the need.  Ted Hurst impressed at the Senior Bowl with his 6’3 frame, and his ability to compete at the higher level.  Problem being he may have impressed too much to be available this late in the draft.  For now I’ll keep him as a fourth round steal for the Steelers.

Round 4b (135): Dae’Quan Wright TE – Ole Miss

Granted tight end may not be the biggest need for the Steelers entering this draft, but we couldn’t resist adding an athletic move tight end to the roster.  Wright had 5 touchdowns, and a whopping 16.3 yards per catch in 2025.  For a team desperate for big plays in the passing game, Dae’Quan Wright is a hard player to pass up in this part of the draft.

Round 5 (159): Cole Brevard DT – Texas

Couldn’t get out of this draft without adding at least one defensive lineman.  Cole Brevard is a huge man at 6’3″, 345 pounds.  Brevard spent more time in the B gap at Texas, but projects as a nose tackle with maybe some versatility on a 3-4 defensive line.

Round 6a (213): Patrick Peyton EDGE – LSU

Patrick Peyton has the ideal measurables for what the Steelers look for in their edge rushers.  He is listed at 6’6, 255 pounds with the length and athleticism the Steelers love.  Peyton has had quite the drop off from 2023 where he had 7 sacks for Florida St., to only one sack last season at LSU.  This deep in the draft it’s worth a flyer on traits alone.

Round 6b (214) Trip Trayanum RB – Toledo

Trayanum is a size/speed running back with the ability to. catch the ball out of the backfield.  He is a well traveled player having attended Arizona State, Ohio State, Kentucky, before finally setting in at Toledo.

Round 7a (224) Xavian Sorey LB/S – Arkansas

Sorey is a linebacker/safety who could provide immediate depth on special teams.

Round 7b (237) Logan Fano EDGE – Utah

Ok when I found out that Spencer Fano had a brother also in this draft I couldn’t resist mocking him to the Steelers.  We all know the kick this team gets out of drafting players with bloodlines.  Maybe that was just a Tomlin thing, but we’ll find out if Logan Fano gets his name called by the Pittsburgh Steelers.