CHEIFSMAFIA'S MOCK DRAFT
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CHEIFSMAFIA'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 20, 2026

Cheifs draft

  • CHEIFSMAFIA DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Makai Lemon Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (PIT)
Makai Lemon
WR USC
Carson Beck Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
Carson Beck
QB Miami
Carter Smith Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Carter Smith
OT Indiana
Jake Golday Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Jake Golday
OLB Cincinnati
Julian Neal Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Julian Neal
CB Arkansas
Trinidad Chambliss Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
Trinidad Chambliss
QB Ole Miss
Jakobe Thomas Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (PIT)
Jakobe Thomas
S Miami
Jaydn Ott Head Shot
PICK: 159 RND: 5 (PIT)
Jaydn Ott
RB Oklahoma
Brett Norfleet Head Shot
PICK: 213 RND: 6 (PIT)
Brett Norfleet
TE Missouri
Fernando Carmona Head Shot
PICK: 214 RND: 6 (PIT)
Fernando Carmona
OT Arkansas
Roderick Kearney Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (PIT)
Roderick Kearney
OG Florida
Joey Aguilar Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (PIT)
Joey Aguilar
QB Tennessee
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall B-
ValueB- NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
The Steelers checked most of the boxes and earned a B-.

Call it larceny. Julian Neal sat on the board until the 99th overall pick, and the Steelers did not need to be asked twice. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B-.

For all the activity, interior defensive lineman went untouched, which is hard to explain. The Beck pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over. The roster is better shaped than it was, with quarterback chief among the fixes.

Almost all the early capital went to that side of the ball.

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

Pick Analysis
Pick21 Rnd1 Makai Lemon
In No. 21 they get a No. 1 receiver. A clean fit for the roster.
Pick53 Rnd2 Carson Beck
A real head-scratcher, Carson Beck in slot 53 is miles ahead of his ranking. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick76 Rnd3 Carter Smith
Carter Smith at slot 76 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Pick85 Rnd3 Jake Golday
Jake Golday in the 85th pick lands just on the right side of the ledger. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick99 Rnd3 Julian Neal
You do not let a cornerback like Julian Neal reach Round 3, Pick 35 and blink. They did not. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick121 Rnd4 Trinidad Chambliss
Trinidad Chambliss in the 121st overall pick is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick135 Rnd4 Jakobe Thomas
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Jakobe Thomas at the Round 4 slot is the proof. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick159 Rnd5 Jaydn Ott
By-the-book stuff, Jaydn Ott at No. 159 squarely in line with his ranking. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick213 Rnd6 Brett Norfleet
A market-rate tight end, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Brett Norfleet. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick214 Rnd6 Fernando Carmona
No drama and no debate, Fernando Carmona went about where he belonged in pick 214. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Pick224 Rnd7 Roderick Kearney
Roderick Kearney at pick No. 224 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Pick237 Rnd7 Joey Aguilar
Taking Joey Aguilar in Round 7, Pick 21 is close to grand larceny; a quarterback that good had no business lasting this long. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.