SAMMY 123'S MOCK DRAFT
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SAMMY 123'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 14, 2026

2026-70

  • SAMMY 123 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (PIT)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Germie Bernard Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
Germie Bernard
WR Alabama
Eli Stowers Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Eli Stowers
TE Vanderbilt
Keylan Rutledge Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Keylan Rutledge
OG Georgia Tech
Keionte Scott Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Keionte Scott
CB Miami
Ja'Kobi Lane Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
Ja'Kobi Lane
WR USC
Bishop Fitzgerald Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (PIT)
Bishop Fitzgerald
S USC
Cole Payton Head Shot
PICK: 161 RND: 5 (PIT)
Cole Payton
QB North Dakota State
Nolan Rucci Head Shot
PICK: 216 RND: 6 (PIT)
Nolan Rucci
OT Penn State
Eli Heidenreich Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (PIT)
Eli Heidenreich
WR Navy
Brandon Cleveland Head Shot
PICK: 230 RND: 7 (PIT)
Brandon Cleveland
DT NC State
TJ Hall Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (PIT)
TJ Hall
CB Iowa
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall B-
ValueB NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
Good, not great, for the Steelers: B-.

The Steelers looked at the value chart, folded it up, and took Nolan Rucci at the Round 6 slot regardless, 47 picks early.

Landing Scott that late papers over a lot of smaller sins. Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. Value over need was the throughline, for better and worse.

All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.

Pick Analysis
Pick21 Rnd1 Sonny Styles
In the Round 1 slot they get a coverage-and-run second-level piece at a price that makes it sweeter. A clean fit for the roster.
Pick53 Rnd2 Germie Bernard
A premium they did not need to pay, Germie Bernard a notch or two before his time. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick76 Rnd3 Eli Stowers
A tight end of that caliber at pick No. 76 is the definition of value, full stop. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick85 Rnd3 Keylan Rutledge
Good price on Keylan Rutledge in Round 3, Pick 21, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Pick99 Rnd3 Keionte Scott
They will replay Keionte Scott at the 99th pick for years; that is how good the value is. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick121 Rnd4 Ja'Kobi Lane
Ja'Kobi Lane in No. 121 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick135 Rnd4 Bishop Fitzgerald
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Bishop Fitzgerald at Round 4, Pick 35. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick161 Rnd5 Cole Payton
Cole Payton in the Round 5 slot is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick216 Rnd6 Nolan Rucci
They left a pile of value on the table to take Nolan Rucci this early at pick No. 216. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Pick224 Rnd7 Eli Heidenreich
A real head-scratcher, Eli Heidenreich in pick 224 is miles ahead of his ranking. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick230 Rnd7 Brandon Cleveland
They paid sticker price for Brandon Cleveland in slot 230, and that is fine. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick237 Rnd7 TJ Hall
TJ Hall at the 237th overall pick is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.