Caleb8787'S MOCK DRAFT
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Caleb8787'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON MAR 8, 2026

Steeler Mock 1

  • Caleb8787 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Makai Lemon Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (PIT)
Makai Lemon
WR USC
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Mike Washington Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Mike Washington Jr.
RB Arkansas
J.C. Davis Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
J.C. Davis
OT Illinois
Jalon Kilgore Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (PIT)
Jalon Kilgore
CB South Carolina
Zane Durant Head Shot
PICK: 159 RND: 5 (PIT)
Zane Durant
DT Penn State
Cole Payton Head Shot
PICK: 213 RND: 6 (PIT)
Cole Payton
QB North Dakota State
George Gumbs Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 214 RND: 6 (PIT)
George Gumbs Jr.
DE-EDGE Florida
Isaiah Nwokobia Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (PIT)
Isaiah Nwokobia
S SMU
Aiden Fisher Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (PIT)
Aiden Fisher
LB Indiana
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall B
ValueB NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
The Steelers did the meat-and-potatoes work well: B.

The Steelers did not so much draft George Gumbs Jr. as overpay for him, 59 picks clear of his grade. It sets an uneasy tone for the weekend.

Ponds falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch. The tight end spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.

Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.

Pick Analysis
Pick21 Rnd1 Makai Lemon
The board had Makai Lemon higher than No. 21, and the wide receiver fell to them anyway. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick53 Rnd2 Dillon Thieneman
Dillon Thieneman at pick No. 53 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick76 Rnd3 D'Angelo Ponds
Circle this one: D'Angelo Ponds at pick 76 is a fall that decides a draft. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick85 Rnd3 Zachariah Branch
They will replay Zachariah Branch at the Round 3 slot for years; that is how good the value is. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick99 Rnd3 Mike Washington Jr.
They went early on Mike Washington Jr. in Round 3, Pick 35, and the value did not follow. The roster fit checks out.
Pick121 Rnd4 J.C. Davis
A straight-up fair deal on J.C. Davis at slot 121, value and slot in agreement. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Pick135 Rnd4 Jalon Kilgore
Jalon Kilgore in pick 135 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick159 Rnd5 Zane Durant
A reach for Zane Durant in pick No. 159; a little patience would have been rewarded. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick213 Rnd6 Cole Payton
Cole Payton at Round 6, Pick 34 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick214 Rnd6 George Gumbs Jr.
They talked themselves into George Gumbs Jr. at the Round 6 slot, and the board did not agree. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick224 Rnd7 Isaiah Nwokobia
A tidy little value on Isaiah Nwokobia in the 224th pick, a step better than break-even. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick237 Rnd7 Aiden Fisher
Aiden Fisher at the 237th overall pick is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the linebacker. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.