jdj029'S MOCK DRAFT
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jdj029'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 29, 2026

Downs 2026

  • jdj029 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Caleb Downs Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (PIT)
Caleb Downs
S Ohio State
Brandon Cisse Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
Brandon Cisse
CB South Carolina
Deontae Lawson Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Deontae Lawson
LB Alabama
Omar Cooper Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Omar Cooper Jr.
WR Indiana
Julian Neal Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Julian Neal
CB Arkansas
Ar'maj Reed-Adams Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
Ar'maj Reed-Adams
OG Texas A&M
Drew Allar Head Shot
PICK: 123 RND: 4 (PIT)
Drew Allar
QB Penn State
David Oke Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (PIT)
David Oke
DL Arkansas
Xavier Nwankpa Head Shot
PICK: 159 RND: 5 (PIT)
Xavier Nwankpa
S Iowa
Tristan Leigh Head Shot
PICK: 213 RND: 6 (PIT)
Tristan Leigh
OT Clemson
Robert Spears-Jennings Head Shot
PICK: 214 RND: 6 (PIT)
Robert Spears-Jennings
S Oklahoma
J. Michael Sturdivant Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (PIT)
J. Michael Sturdivant
WR Florida
Jager Burton Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (PIT)
Jager Burton
C Kentucky
Draft Picks Received
Drew Allar Head Shot
PICK: 123 RND: 4 (LAC)
Drew Allar
QB Penn State
Players Gained
Head Shot
Tristan Wirfs
OT
Players traded away
Head Shot
Broderick Jones
OT
Head Shot
Jonnu Smith
TE
Head Shot
Patrick Queen
LB
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall B+
ValueB NeedB TradesA+ FutureB-
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Steelers a B+.

There was a run on nobody at that position, and the Steelers started one anyway for Jager Burton, 109 picks ahead of schedule.

They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. The Neal steal is the beam this whole class leans on. The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.

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

Pick Analysis
Pick21 Rnd1 Caleb Downs
In pick No. 21 they get a rangy last line of defense, and a steal at that. The biggest hole, addressed.
Pick53 Rnd2 Brandon Cisse
They read the board right and Brandon Cisse was the payoff at No. 53. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick76 Rnd3 Deontae Lawson
A top-tier linebacker at a bargain, Deontae Lawson in the Round 3 slot, plain and simple. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick85 Rnd3 Omar Cooper Jr.
A tidy little value on Omar Cooper Jr. in pick 85, a step better than break-even. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick99 Rnd3 Julian Neal
The board fumbled Julian Neal all the way to Round 3, Pick 35, and they scooped it up. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick121 Rnd4 Ar'maj Reed-Adams
The board had cheaper options than Ar'maj Reed-Adams at the 121st pick, and it noticed. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Pick123 Rnd4 Drew Allar
A premium they did not need to pay, Drew Allar a notch or two before his time. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick135 Rnd4 David Oke
They took David Oke at par in the Round 4 slot, which is nothing to complain about. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick159 Rnd5 Xavier Nwankpa
Xavier Nwankpa at Round 5, Pick 21 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick213 Rnd6 Tristan Leigh
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Tristan Leigh. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
Pick214 Rnd6 Robert Spears-Jennings
Robert Spears-Jennings at pick No. 214 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick224 Rnd7 J. Michael Sturdivant
They did well to land J. Michael Sturdivant in slot 224, just ahead of his grade. It fills a real need, too.
Pick237 Rnd7 Jager Burton
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Jager Burton. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.