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JW27
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kdg DRAFTING FOR THESteelers
Draft Selections
Draft Picks Received
PICK:
RND:
2
(IND)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
PICK:
RND:
4
(LAC)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
PICK:
RND:
4
(ATL)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
PICK:
RND:
5
(LAC)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
Draft Picks Traded
Players traded away
Alex
Highsmith
LB
Brandon
Johnson
WR
Brandon
Smith
WR
Donte
Kent
CB
Marquez
Valdes-Scantling
WR
Mason
Cole
C
Max
Hurleman
RB
Robert
Tonyan
TE
Sean
Murphy-Bunting
CB
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall
D
ValueA+
NeedC-
TradesF
FutureB+
The Steelers left with their quarterback, and a D to match. Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Steelers were there to profit. Connor Lew, the No. 84 name on the board, should have been long gone before pick No. 224. It grades a D, and the process earned it.
The trades bled value they could not afford to lose. Fernando Mendoza is the bet, and the class will be judged on how it pays off. Stockpiling next year's capital is patient, if unglamorous, asset work.
They trusted the board more than the depth chart.
The verdict is not kind, and fairly so; this class has a hill to climb.
Pick Analysis
Pick29
Rnd1
Fernando Mendoza
Fernando Mendoza in slot 29 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
Pick54
Rnd2
Mansoor Delane
Somehow Mansoor Delane was still sitting there in the 54th pick, and they pounced on premier cornerback value. It does not line up with the team's obvious holes.
Pick69
Rnd3
Spencer Fano
The board fumbled Spencer Fano all the way to the 69th overall pick, and they scooped it up. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
Pick76
Rnd3
David Bailey
David Bailey in slot 76 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Pick86
Rnd3
Sonny Styles
A linebacker of that caliber at the 86th pick is the definition of value, full stop. Need-wise, a curious use of the pick.
Pick92
Rnd3
Carnell Tate
They robbed the room for Carnell Tate here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. The roster reasoning here is anyone's guess.
Pick98
Rnd3
Kenyon Sadiq
You do not let a tight end like Kenyon Sadiq reach the Round 3 slot and blink. They did not. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Pick99
Rnd3
Kayden McDonald
Kayden McDonald in pick 99 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Pick109
Rnd4
Dillon Thieneman
Taking Dillon Thieneman in No. 109 is close to grand larceny; a safety that good had no business lasting this long. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
Pick112
Rnd4
Jordyn Tyson
Circle this one: Jordyn Tyson at pick No. 112 is a fall that decides a draft. A fine player at a spot low on the priority list.
Pick113
Rnd4
Brandon Cisse
They will replay Brandon Cisse at the Round 4 slot for years; that is how good the value is. It fits a board better than it fits this team.
Pick114
Rnd4
Cashius Howell
Cashius Howell at pick 114 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
Pick119
Rnd4
KC Concepcion
Steal is underselling it; KC Concepcion at No. 119 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A pick in search of a role on this roster.
Pick121
Rnd4
Colton Hood
A top-tier cornerback at a bargain, Colton Hood in the 121st overall pick, plain and simple. The roster logic is harder to follow.
Pick123
Rnd4
CJ Allen
CJ Allen at slot 123 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. This was not a hole anyone had circled.
Pick135
Rnd4
Chase Bisontis
Chase Bisontis at Round 4, Pick 35 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
Pick148
Rnd5
Akheem Mesidor
They barely believed it either: Akheem Mesidor still on the board at the 148th pick. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
Pick161
Rnd5
Antonio Williams
Antonio Williams at pick No. 161 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Where it fits the depth chart is the real question.
Pick204
Rnd6
De'Zhaun Stribling
De'Zhaun Stribling in slot 204 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. Hard to map this one onto the depth chart at all.
Pick216
Rnd6
Keyron Crawford
Keyron Crawford at No. 216 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
Pick218
Rnd7
Ja'Kobi Lane
Ja'Kobi Lane at the Round 7 slot is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Not a spot anyone had flagged, which makes it a head-scratcher.
Pick224
Rnd7
Connor Lew
They robbed the room for Connor Lew here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Pick230
Rnd7
Dametrious Crownover
You do not let an offensive lineman like Dametrious Crownover reach pick No. 230 and blink. They did not. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
Pick237
Rnd7
Taylen Green
A top-tier quarterback at a bargain, Taylen Green in the 237th overall pick, plain and simple. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.