LaCauv'S MOCK DRAFT

LaCauv'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 8, 2026

4some Draft

  • LaCauv DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Olaivavega Ioane Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (PIT)
Olaivavega Ioane
OG Penn State
Eli Stowers Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
Eli Stowers
TE Vanderbilt
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Deontae Lawson Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Deontae Lawson
LB Alabama
Ja'Kobi Lane Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Ja'Kobi Lane
WR USC
Kaleb Proctor Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
Kaleb Proctor
DL SE Louisiana
Drew Allar Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (PIT)
Drew Allar
QB Penn State
Louis Moore Head Shot
PICK: 161 RND: 5 (PIT)
Louis Moore
S Indiana
Noah Whittington Head Shot
PICK: 216 RND: 6 (PIT)
Noah Whittington
RB Oregon
Harrison Wallace III Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (PIT)
Harrison Wallace III
WR Ole Miss
TJ Hall Head Shot
PICK: 230 RND: 7 (PIT)
TJ Hall
CB Iowa
Zavion Thomas Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (PIT)
Zavion Thomas
WR LSU
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall B-
ValueB- NeedB- TradesB- FutureB-
The Steelers let Slaughter fall into their laps, and walked away with a B-.

This is the pick they will still be bragging about in July: Jake Slaughter, the No. 55 name on the board, stolen at Round 3, Pick 12. It nets out to a B-, which feels about right.

The Allar reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade. Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.

They will answer for taking offensive lineman early while edge rusher went begging.

Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.

Pick Analysis
Pick21 Rnd1 Olaivavega Ioane
They took Olaivavega Ioane at par in Round 1, Pick 21, which is nothing to complain about. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Pick53 Rnd2 Eli Stowers
They paid sticker price for Eli Stowers in No. 53, and that is fine. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick76 Rnd3 Jake Slaughter
A surprising call. With edge rusher still to address, they spent the Round 3 slot on Jake Slaughter, an offensive lineman they were not short of.
Pick85 Rnd3 Deontae Lawson
A clean, defensible pick in the 85th pick with a little surplus value in Deontae Lawson. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick99 Rnd3 Ja'Kobi Lane
Ja'Kobi Lane in pick No. 99 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick121 Rnd4 Kaleb Proctor
Kaleb Proctor at slot 121 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick135 Rnd4 Drew Allar
They left a pile of value on the table to take Drew Allar this early at pick 135. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick161 Rnd5 Louis Moore
No edge and no loss on Louis Moore in the 161st overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick216 Rnd6 Noah Whittington
The board had cheaper options than Noah Whittington at pick No. 216, and it noticed. The roster fit checks out.
Pick224 Rnd7 Harrison Wallace III
Value with a capital V on Harrison Wallace III in No. 224, a genuine coup. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick230 Rnd7 TJ Hall
The board had TJ Hall higher than the Round 7 slot, and the cornerback fell to them anyway. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick237 Rnd7 Zavion Thomas
Zavion Thomas in slot 237 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. It patches a soft spot without any drama.