The Pittsburgh Steelers will be hosting the 2026 NFL Draft in April, which has the city buzzing about the big event taking place. While there was a lot of press about the potential quarterback prospects, the stock has plummeted since the start of college football season in August. Arch Manning of Texas, who was expected to enter the draft, may be returning to school. Meanwhile Penn State quarterback Drew Allar could also stay in college pending the ruling of a Preliminary Injunction hearing in Patterson v. NCAA, a class-action lawsuit challenging the current Redshirt Rule.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard (18) participates in the Steelers rookie minicamp at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, Friday, May 9, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA.
The Steelers drafted Will Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 Draft out of the Ohio State. He has not seen the field in 2025 for Pittsburgh, as it has been in playoff contention all year under veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers' future is still unclear, so the Steelers do not seem to have a specific direction as to what position they will be targeting in April. With that said, draft analyst Matt Miller offered some disappointing news on his evaluations of talent heading into the 2026 Draft.
"There's a difference between going in Round 1 and being graded in Round 1, and as we move closer to the opening of the 2026 draft on April 23 in Pittsburgh, I have identified the players who I feel are no-brainer Day 1 guys" Miller wrote. "I gave only 13 first-round grades in the 2025 class, the lowest number I've ever awarded. But the 2026 class comes in below that right now."
The Steelers may wait to see what they have in Howard, should Rodgers return for another season. Being drafted low in the sixth round like Howard was, it affords the Steelers the chance to do so, as they did not use a higher pick to get Howard. Howard did win the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship at Ohio State, after transferring to the school from Kansas State.
Miller gave out just 11 first-round grades, two of which went to quarterbacks. The Steelers will also most likely not end up with a chance at Miller's top two quarterbacks on the board. He currently projects Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza to go fourth overall and Oregon quarterback Dante Moore going fifth overall in April. Unless the Steelers were to trade up, those guys should be well off the board by the time the Steelers pick.
Kyusung Gong / AP Photo
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza celebrating with teammate in Indiana's Rose Bowl win over Alabama.
Steelers' Potential Positional Focus In Very Low Graded Draft Class
The news of Miller's lowest-ever first-round draft grades is a bit concerning, so the Steelers will have to be strategic in what they focus on as far as adding to positions of need. One position the Steelers should hone in on is wide receiver, as the team has struggled with production in that area outside of DK Metcalf in 2025.
While the Steelers will also most likely not have Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate on the board when they pick, they can look to do so by targeting higher-end second-round projections at that position.
With Metcalf leading the Steelers receiving in 2025 with 850 yards, the next actual wide receiver on that list is Calvin Austin III, who is fifth in receiving yards with 317. Targeting a wide receiver would give the Steelers offense a chance to take a step forward in 2026, as it would take attention off of Metcalf to free him up more and make them a more balanced passing attack.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers throws to DK Metcalf during a win over the Cleveland Browns during the 2025 season.
One option for the Steelers at wide receiver would include Jordyn Tyson of Arizona State. Tyson had 61 catches for 711 yards and eight touchdowns. Another target for the Steelers could be Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard.
Bernard had 64 receptions for 862 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025 for Alabama. Those are just a couple of options the Steelers could look at, but getting a second wide receiver to shadow Metcalf would make sense this year. With Miller's low first-round grade ranking, the Steelers scouting department can look deeper into the draft at some guys who may stand out, but just are not being talked about.
What position do you think the Steelers should target in the 2026 draft with a very low-ranking first-round class? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
