The NFL Draft is nearly two weeks away now. You can find thousands of articles on who the Steelers should take with their first round pick. But what about players the team should be actively avoiding at pick 21? Here are five players should the Steelers not draft under any circumstances in round one of the 2026 NFL Draft:
1. Ty Simpson QB – Alabama
For me, there are very simple rules to follow when drafting a quarterback in the first round. This player should be at least 6’3″, weigh over 205 pounds to start. They should have above average arm strength, and athleticism. Finally, this player should have a minimum of 20 college starts, and a 2/1 touchdown to interception ratio in college. If they lack one of these traits, they should be elite in one or more of the others.
Applying these criteria to Ty Simpson, he simply fails them all. He is not above average in any physical trait, nor does he have the college experience needed with only 15 starts at Alabama. In those starts, Simpson played poorly in at least half of them. His mental processing, and grasp of a pro-style offense is intriguing. There is just too much risk in what will most likely end up a career backup. There is no way the Steelers can afford to whiff on a first round quarterback once again, therefore this should be a hard pass for the Steelers.
2. Jordan Tyson WR – Arizona State
Omar Khan has shown he is not scared off by players with injury red flags in the past. He has drafted players like Darnell Washington, Payton Wilson, and Troy Fuatanu with such red flags, and had success with it. Tyson Chandler is at a different level however. Tyson missed 18 games in four seasons while at Arizona State. His injures range from major knee surgery, to a broken collarbone, to multiple hamstring injuries.
His latest hamstring injury which popped up in October of 2025, is still preventing him from working out at the combine or his pro day in April. Injury prone players do not just suddenly stay healthy once reaching the NFL, they tend to get worse. This is a player whose risk doesn’t come anywhere near the reward. Jordan Tyson should be avoided at all costs by the Steelers in round one.
3. Avieon Terrell CB – Clemson
Avieon Terrell did not have a great week. He had a private work out where he absolutely bombed his athletic testing, and injured himself in the process. His best 40 time was registered at 4.64, and that combined with poor jumps led to an awful 4,64 RAS. The fact that he waited to do a private workout makes one suspicious that his overall athletic profile was really poor. For a smaller corner (5’11″/186lbs), this kind of workout raises major red flags. There will be too many other talented corners available at 21 to risk taking Terrell.
4. Denzel Boston WR – Washington
This is a player with some really good tape out of the University of Washington. Where he comes into question is the overall athletic ability. Boston refused to run at the combine, and his pro day. The little athletic testing he did do is subpar at best. His vertical jump, and 20 yard shuttle both came in below the 45th percentile. The league is littered with tall jump ball specialists from college who have flamed out in the NFL. There are too many talented receivers in this draft to take Denzel Boston at 21.
5. Kadyn Proctor OT – Alabama
Kadyn Proctor had an up and down 2025 for the Crimson Tide. He started the season out horribly, before putting out some outstanding tape later on in the season. Most will point to the fact he lost significant weight as the season went along. Some rumors had him in the 380lbs range to start the season. In Proctor’s defense he has gotten that weight down to 352, but the question now becomes can he keep it there. Offensive tackles tend to struggle once they pass the 350 pound mark. Questions of Kadyn Proctor’s overall discipline when it comes to his weight make him a risky pick. Like quarterback, the Steelers can ill afford another whiff on a first round tackle twice in four years.