Prisuta: These are the Players the Steelers Should Draft

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy is introduced at a press conference, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

The crapshoot that is the NFL Draft is difficult to get a handle on, even for NFL coaches, NFL scouts and NFL general managers.

That said, the Steelers and general manager Omar Khan are ready.

“I trust our process,” Khan maintained on Monday. “I’m confident saying right now that when we’re done on Saturday, we’ll have 10, 12, 14 players, whatever it is. I feel really good about where we’re at right now and all the work we put into it and how the board is stacked.”

Of course, they always feel that way before they start picking. Yet in some years, they still wind up with a Kenny Pickett, which just goes to show that even those who are paid to know, don’t know for certain how a pick will turn out.

We’ll all know soon enough what the Steelers think they know. In advance of the NFL’s three-day spectacular, here’s how I’d attack it:

First Round (11th overall)
Olaivavega Ioane, OG, Penn State

In a perfect world, the Steelers could get Ioane, far and away the best guard available, at 21st overall.

In this world, they’ll more than likely need to trade up. Sending their first-round pick and two third-rounders (76th and 85th) to Miami for the Dolphins’ 11th overall selection makes sense for both parties involved.

With 12 picks at their disposal, the Steelers have the draft capital available to move if necessary, and no real need to draft 12 players. This seems a small price to pay for locking up a left guard for the next 10 or so seasons via the selection of a player who might well be their next David DeCastro or Alan Faneca.

Second Round (53rd overall)
Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech

Wide receiver remains a priority, but there are more of those to sift through in subsequent rounds than there will be defensive tackles.

Hunter may still be available at this juncture because he’s a disruptive, destructive and productive run-stuffer who is still exploring his potential as a pass-rusher.

As he does, he can help bolster a defense in general and a defensive line in particular that must continue to get better at not getting run on as often as it has of late (including by Houston in the AFC Playoffs).

Third Round (99th overall)
Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame

He won’t bring the inside-outside versatility new head coach Mike McCarthy is admittedly seeking at wide receiver, but Fields, coupled with veterans DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr., will give quarterback Aaron Rodgers three potential targets who are 6-foot-4-inches tall or taller.

Fields also is an established magician when it comes to combat/acrobatic catches, just ask the Pitt Panthers.

Fourth Round (121st overall)
Kyle Lewis, LB/S, Pitt

There’s some debate as to which position Lewis should play in the NFL, but the Steelers could use some reinforcement at both of them.

There’s also absolutely no doubt about Lewis’ credentials as a football player, no matter his position designation. Suit him up and throw him out there somewhere.

Fourth Round (135th overall)
Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma

Burks can fill the aforementioned need for a slot-capable wide receiver. He can catch short and run long due to his yards-after-the-catch capability.

He’s a little guy (5-93/4, 188 pounds) who can run (4.30 in the 40-yard dash) and jump (421/2” vertical leap, 10’11” broad jump). Those are physical attributes a sharp offensive guy such as McCarthy ought to find appealing.

Fifth Round (161st overall)
Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas

No, this isn’t the long-term answer at QB everyone is obsessed with identifying, but Green is a phenomenal athlete who rushed for 2,403 yards and scored 35 rushing touchdowns over his last four seasons (two at Boise State, two at Arkansas).

He can be the Steelers’ Taysom Hill, a gadget-package option for certain situations (like what Justin Fields was supposed to be when Russell Wilson was quarterbacking the Steelers).

Sixth Round (216th overall)
Jacob Thomas, S, Miami (Fla.)

Thomas has massive hands (105/8”), which he used to register five interceptions in 2025, a breakout season for him after spending three seasons at Middle Tennessee State and one at Tennessee. Thomas plays with aggression against the run or pass.

You can work with that.

Seventh Round (224th overall)
Diego Pounds, OT, Mississippi

It should be mentioned by now all of the above is dependent upon the Steelers perceiving Broderick Jones as making adequate progress in his recovery from neck surgery.

Assuming that’s the case, tackle can wait for a developmental candidate. Pounds will do as a value selection this late in the process.

Seventh Round (230th overall)
Riley Nowakowski, TE, Indiana

He’s a blocking tight end who is also fullback-capable; he even scored a touchdown for the Hoosiers in the National Championship Game).

If McCarthy is serious about wanting to run the ball, there might be times when a fullback comes in handy.

Seventh Round (237th overall)
Kaden Wetjen, WR, Iowa

If he only returns kickoffs and punts, Wetjen’s combustibility at both might justify a helmet on game day. He’s taken six career kicks to the house, including four punts (three in 2025).

He’s Iowa-tough, a trait Hawkeyes players seemingly universally share. At 237th overall, that’s more than enough.

So there you have it. Buckle up — and if it works out this way, plan the parade.