aechean'S MOCK DRAFT
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aechean'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON MAR 25, 2026

1 swing

  • aechean DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Caleb Lomu Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (PIT)
Caleb Lomu
OT Utah
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 22 RND: 1 (PIT)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
A.J. Haulcy Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
A.J. Haulcy
S LSU
Germie Bernard Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Germie Bernard
WR Alabama
Nicholas Singleton Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Nicholas Singleton
RB Penn State
Harold Perkins Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Harold Perkins Jr.
LB LSU
Deion Burks Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
Deion Burks
WR Oklahoma
Drew Allar Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (PIT)
Drew Allar
QB Penn State
Patrick Payton Head Shot
PICK: 161 RND: 5 (PIT)
Patrick Payton
DL-EDGE LSU
Isaiah Nwokobia Head Shot
PICK: 216 RND: 6 (PIT)
Isaiah Nwokobia
S SMU
Nick Barrett Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (PIT)
Nick Barrett
DL South Carolina
Thaddeus Dixon Head Shot
PICK: 230 RND: 7 (PIT)
Thaddeus Dixon
CB North Carolina
TJ Hall Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (PIT)
TJ Hall
CB Iowa
Draft Picks Received
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 22 RND: 1 (LAC)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Draft Picks Traded
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (LV)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (LV)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall B-
ValueC+ NeedB TradesA+ FutureD
Nobody dealt better than the Steelers this weekend: B-.

Call it a hunch or call it a gamble, but the Steelers spent the Round 5 slot on Patrick Payton, a name most had 83 spots down the list. The bottom line is a respectable B-.

Getting Burks where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own. For all the activity, tight end went untouched, which is hard to explain.

A competent weekend that does not make headlines and does not need to.

Pick Analysis
Pick21 Rnd1 Caleb Lomu
In the 21st pick they get an anchor for the offensive line. Need was not the driver here.
Pick22 Rnd1 Sonny Styles
In the Round 1 slot they get a three-down second-level presence at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
Pick53 Rnd2 A.J. Haulcy
A.J. Haulcy at pick 53 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the safety. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick76 Rnd3 Germie Bernard
Germie Bernard in Round 3, Pick 12 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick85 Rnd3 Nicholas Singleton
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Nicholas Singleton. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick99 Rnd3 Harold Perkins Jr.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Harold Perkins Jr. well ahead of where he belonged. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick121 Rnd4 Deion Burks
They will replay Deion Burks at Round 4, Pick 21 for years; that is how good the value is. It fills a real need, too.
Pick135 Rnd4 Drew Allar
A wild overpay on Drew Allar in pick No. 135, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick161 Rnd5 Patrick Payton
Value said wait; Patrick Payton in the 161st overall pick says they were not listening. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick216 Rnd6 Isaiah Nwokobia
They paid a round early for Isaiah Nwokobia in the 216th pick, more than the board wanted. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick224 Rnd7 Nick Barrett
Nick Barrett at the Round 7 slot is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick230 Rnd7 Thaddeus Dixon
Nice patience on Thaddeus Dixon, who had no business lasting to slot 230. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick237 Rnd7 TJ Hall
TJ Hall at pick 237 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. The roster fit checks out.