With the 2026 NFL Draft being a little over a week away, Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan will look to complete his fourth draft as the man in charge. Khan has done a decent job thus far, having really nice drafts in 2023 and 2024. The 2025 draft is only now one season into the players' careers, but it could contain some very valuable pieces. As for 2026, the team picks 21st overall, and it seems they could be picking a few different positions on both sides of the ball. One position they are often mocked to draft is at wide receiver.
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Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate during the 2025 college football season.
The Steelers seemed to have addressed the WR2 issue this offseason by trading for Indianapolis Colts star Michael Pittman Jr. Even with that acquisition, they are still very thin at wide receiver. Drafting one in the first round would solidify that position completely.
The only question is, which one? Carnell Tate is expected to be a top-10 selection come draft night. Jordyn Tyson's draft stock appears to be on a downward slope due to his injury history. There are also solid prospects in Denzel Boston, Omar Cooper Jr., and KC Concepcion. With all of these prospects, there's a receiver one Steelers insider is very adamant about not drafting.
Brian Batko recently appeared on the North Shore Drive podcast, where he discussed the upcoming NFL Draft. Batko ranked the top six wide receivers in the current class and said he is not high on USC wideout Makai Lemon. He says he wants the team to avoid Lemon and not follow recent trends by drafting their next diva wide receiver.
"I'm not a big Lemon guy. I'm really not, like I just don't know what it is. Maybe I've been jaded by some of these whispers and rumblings about rough interviews with teams," Batko said. "The last thing I want to see is another, you know, malcontent or sort of uh, what's the word... diva, diva wide receiver."
In recent history, the Steelers have had somewhat bad luck drafting players at the receiver position who come with drama. With Lemon's very odd combination of interviews with the media in recent months, and poor ones with NFL teams, his stock has taken a hit. Drafting him could go against everything Khan is trying to undo. Khan has been trying to change the Steelers' culture through his free agent moves and draft picks. Lemon is a good player, but will the Steelers fall into the same cycle with him if he's drafted?
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USC WR Makai Lemon goes viral during the 2026 Scouting Combine.
Last offseason, Khan sent George Pickens away to the Dallas Cowboys for just third- and fifth-round picks. Pickens would go on to have by far the best season of his young career, but it was never about talent. Khan showed Steeler Nation his hand on his goals for the team's future. He wants players who worry about playing football and who won't be a distraction to the team.
Steelers Should Look Elsewhere Position-Wise
Wide receiver isn't the team's only need. They also have some urgent needs on the offensive line, at left guard and left tackle. The team recently brought in Penn State standout Olaivavega Ioane, who draft experts widely regard as the best guard in the entire class.
Ioane would be a plug-and-play at left guard for the Steelers, filling a massive need on the interior. With Broderick Jones' health status still in question and Dylan Cook having such a small sample size, left tackle is also a top need.
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Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones walks on the field as the team works out during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
There will also be options at left tackle, like Kadyn Proctor, Spencer Fano, or Monroe Freeling. Though Freeling and Fano may not make it to pick 21, Proctor could be there for the taking.
Who do you want the Steelers to take in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft? Would you avoid Lemon? Follow us for more news!
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