aechean'S MOCK DRAFT
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aechean'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 1, 2026

Here we go Steelers Here we go

  • aechean DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Caleb Lomu Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (PIT)
Caleb Lomu
OT Utah
A.J. Haulcy Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
A.J. Haulcy
S LSU
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Dontay Corleone Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Dontay Corleone
DT Cincinnati
Harold Perkins Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Harold Perkins Jr.
LB LSU
Keylan Rutledge Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
Keylan Rutledge
OG Georgia Tech
Parker Brailsford Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (PIT)
Parker Brailsford
C Alabama
Drew Allar Head Shot
PICK: 161 RND: 5 (PIT)
Drew Allar
QB Penn State
Logan Fano Head Shot
PICK: 216 RND: 6 (PIT)
Logan Fano
DE-EDGE Utah
Eric McAlister Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (PIT)
Eric McAlister
WR TCU
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 Grade — Steelers
Overall B-
ValueB- NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
Nothing loud, just a tidy B- for the Steelers.

Call it belief, call it a gut call, but Logan Fano at slot 216 is 41 spots clear of consensus, and that is the headline.

The McAlister value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. With running back and tight end unsolved, spending premium capital on offensive lineman is the choice that costs them. For all the activity, running back 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 Round 1, Pick 21 they get an anchor for the offensive line at fair value. Need was not the driver here.
Pick53 Rnd2 A.J. Haulcy
They did well to land A.J. Haulcy in No. 53, just ahead of his grade. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick76 Rnd3 Zachariah Branch
Zachariah Branch at the 76th pick is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick85 Rnd3 Dontay Corleone
A interior defensive lineman of that caliber at the 85th overall pick is the definition of value, full stop. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick99 Rnd3 Harold Perkins Jr.
Harold Perkins Jr. at pick No. 99 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick121 Rnd4 Keylan Rutledge
A surprising call. With running back and tight end still to address, they spent the Round 4 slot on Keylan Rutledge, an offensive lineman they were not short of.
Pick135 Rnd4 Parker Brailsford
A curious use of the Round 4 slot. Running back and tight end needed the pick; an offensive lineman in Parker Brailsford did not.
Pick161 Rnd5 Drew Allar
Nothing to complain about; Drew Allar went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick216 Rnd6 Logan Fano
This one needs a full-page explanation: Logan Fano in pick 216, miles early. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick224 Rnd7 Eric McAlister
You do not let a wide receiver like Eric McAlister reach the 224th overall pick and blink. They did not. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick230 Rnd7 Thaddeus Dixon
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Thaddeus Dixon in slot 230. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick237 Rnd7 TJ Hall
A slide stopped in No. 237, with TJ Hall worth more than the price. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.