Jdj029'S MOCK DRAFT
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Jdj029'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON MAR 21, 2026

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  • Jdj029 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Olaivavega Ioane Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (PIT)
Olaivavega Ioane
OG Penn State
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
Caleb Banks Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Caleb Banks
DL Florida
Josiah Trotter Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Josiah Trotter
LB Missouri
Daylen Everette Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Daylen Everette
CB Georgia
Ted Hurst Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
Ted Hurst
WR Georgia State
Aamil Wagner Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (PIT)
Aamil Wagner
OT Notre Dame
Nate Boerkircher Head Shot
PICK: 161 RND: 5 (PIT)
Nate Boerkircher
TE Texas A&M
Domani Jackson Head Shot
PICK: 216 RND: 6 (PIT)
Domani Jackson
CB Alabama
Xavier Nwankpa Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (PIT)
Xavier Nwankpa
S Iowa
Aaron Anderson Head Shot
PICK: 230 RND: 7 (PIT)
Aaron Anderson
WR LSU
VJ Payne Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (PIT)
VJ Payne
S Kansas State
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall B
ValueB+ NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
The Steelers robbed the room for Anderson. Final grade: B.

Call it larceny. Aaron Anderson sat on the board until No. 230, and the Steelers did not need to be asked twice.

They are betting Wagner proves the room right and everyone else wrong. Spending an early pick on offensive lineman with quarterback, edge rusher and other spots open is the decision the grade keeps circling back to.

They punted on quarterback, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.

In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the quarterback spot they never got to.

Pick Analysis
Pick21 Rnd1 Olaivavega Ioane
In No. 21 they get a blindside protector at fair value. More want than need.
Pick53 Rnd2 Dillon Thieneman
They robbed the room for Dillon Thieneman here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick76 Rnd3 Caleb Banks
Somehow Caleb Banks was still sitting there in the Round 3 slot, and they pounced on premier interior defensive lineman value. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick85 Rnd3 Josiah Trotter
You do not let a linebacker like Josiah Trotter reach pick 85 and blink. They did not. It fills a real need, too.
Pick99 Rnd3 Daylen Everette
They will replay Daylen Everette at the 99th pick for years; that is how good the value is. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick121 Rnd4 Ted Hurst
They let Ted Hurst come to them and pounced at Round 4, Pick 21. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick135 Rnd4 Aamil Wagner
Of all the spots to shop, they chose offensive lineman. Aamil Wagner in the 135th overall pick leaves quarterback, edge rusher and other spots for later.
Pick161 Rnd5 Nate Boerkircher
Nate Boerkircher at slot 161 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick216 Rnd6 Domani Jackson
Circle this one: Domani Jackson at pick 216 is a fall that decides a draft. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick224 Rnd7 Xavier Nwankpa
A premium they did not need to pay, Xavier Nwankpa a notch or two before his time. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick230 Rnd7 Aaron Anderson
Steal is underselling it; Aaron Anderson at No. 230 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick237 Rnd7 VJ Payne
VJ Payne in the Round 7 slot is a gift, value that borders on unfair. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.