The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting ready for the 2026 NFL Draft, which will be hosted right in the Steel City. General Manager Omar Khan and his staff have met with a variety of prospects for Top 30 visits, and there's a ton of speculation about how they'll tackle this draft. The team has been constructed so that there aren't any major holes, but some areas where there could be additional depth or competition for existing players, like at left guard. Right now, it's unclear exactly what positional group the franchise will go with in the first, as it seems like it could be a "best player available" type of strategy from Khan.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan stands on the field with his arms folded as he looks out into the distance while the team gets set to play in a professional football contest.
The Steelers attacked free agency with the aforementioned mentality. They make sure every position has a player that they're confident in at the spot. The Steelers brass made a big move when they signed free agent corner Jamel Dean to a three-year, $36.75 million contract. This gives them some much-needed support at the cornerback position.
Dean had one of his best years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025 and will be a huge addition to a secondary that was bleeding for help. In addition to Dean, the Steelers re-signed Asante Samuel Jr. to a one-year, $4 million deal. These moves truly bolstered the cornerback room, which already included star Joey Porter Jr. and Brandin Echols, among others.
These additions and the clear strength in depth for this cornerback group could directly affect the Steelers' draft plans. Steelers beat writer Brian Batko wrote in a recent article for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the team staying away from the group in the 2026 Draft.
"The Steelers have amassed such a deep cast that they may not be enamored with this draft class at the position [cornerback]," Batko wrote.
Pittsburgh has a dozen draft picks to utilize, but based on Batko's reporting, it seems that cornerback isn't a huge priority for it. Earlier in the 2026 offseason, the Steelers seemed like they could use their first or second-round pick on a defensive back, but after Dean's signing and Samuel's return, this probably is not the case anymore. The team has many bigger needs to choose from with its more premium draft picks.
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Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Pittsburgh, PA.
The draft class has been considered pretty deep at cornerback. If the Steelers did want to take a chance on a developmental piece, then it's a possibility. The team has hosted multiple corners with for Top 30 visits, like Chris Johnson from San Diego State. However, he's projected to be more of a Day 2 selection. Johnson or any corner drafted by Pittsburgh would have to compete for playing time behind a veteran group.
Steelers Have Bigger Needs Than Corner In The Early Rounds Of The Draft
The front office has a big decision ahead of them when it comes to who it'll select with pick 21. It could be anywhere from a guard, a wide receiver, a safety, or even an offensive tackle. Any of those positions could be another plan for Day 2, as well. It seems that Pittsburgh will want to bolster its trenches and add some weapons on offense early.
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Steelers' Omar Khan speaking at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.
The organization has a choice to make on its offensive line, like at left guard, where many fans and pundits speculate the Steelers will go with their first selection. Many also believe a wide receiver pick is in play, too.
Both positions could use some depth and potentially a starter, and those seem like much bigger needs than cornerback depth. The probable way one would be selected is as a depth spot later in the draft. There are many more dire needs than secondary for the Steelers right now.
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