SAMMY 123'S MOCK DRAFT
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SAMMY 123'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 10, 2026

2026-69

  • SAMMY 123 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Arvell Reese Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (PIT)
Arvell Reese
LB Ohio State
Carnell Tate Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
Carnell Tate
WR Ohio State
Jermod McCoy Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Jermod McCoy
CB Tennessee
Kayden McDonald Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Kayden McDonald
DT Ohio State
Michael Taaffe Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Michael Taaffe
S Texas
Julian Neal Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
Julian Neal
CB Arkansas
Beau Stephens Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (PIT)
Beau Stephens
OG Iowa
Cole Payton Head Shot
PICK: 161 RND: 5 (PIT)
Cole Payton
QB North Dakota State
Zavion Thomas Head Shot
PICK: 216 RND: 6 (PIT)
Zavion Thomas
WR LSU
Eli Heidenreich Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (PIT)
Eli Heidenreich
WR Navy
Nolan Rucci Head Shot
PICK: 230 RND: 7 (PIT)
Nolan Rucci
OT Penn State
Jimmy Rolder Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (PIT)
Jimmy Rolder
LB Michigan
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall B
ValueB+ NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
The Steelers won the night they stopped McDonald from sliding. Grade: B.

The Steelers did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and Kayden McDonald fell into the Round 3 slot.

They are betting Payton proves the room right and everyone else wrong. Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.

They trusted the board more than the depth chart.

All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.

Pick Analysis
Pick21 Rnd1 Arvell Reese
In Round 1, Pick 21 they get the heartbeat of the defense at a price that makes it sweeter. A clean fit for the roster.
Pick53 Rnd2 Carnell Tate
You do not let a wide receiver like Carnell Tate reach slot 53 and blink. They did not. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick76 Rnd3 Jermod McCoy
Jermod McCoy at the 76th pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick85 Rnd3 Kayden McDonald
They barely believed it either: Kayden McDonald still on the board at pick 85. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick99 Rnd3 Michael Taaffe
They robbed the room for Michael Taaffe here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick121 Rnd4 Julian Neal
By-the-book stuff, Julian Neal at No. 121 squarely in line with his ranking. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick135 Rnd4 Beau Stephens
They reached a country mile for Beau Stephens at the Round 4 slot, and the board is aghast. A minor itch, scratched.
Pick161 Rnd5 Cole Payton
A real head-scratcher, Cole Payton in the 161st overall pick is miles ahead of his ranking. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick216 Rnd6 Zavion Thomas
Zavion Thomas at Round 6, Pick 35 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick224 Rnd7 Eli Heidenreich
The board had cheaper options than Eli Heidenreich at slot 224, and it noticed. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick230 Rnd7 Nolan Rucci
They reached into another round for Nolan Rucci, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
Pick237 Rnd7 Jimmy Rolder
The board had Jimmy Rolder higher than the Round 7 slot, and the linebacker fell to them anyway. It fills a real need, too.