Jdj029'S MOCK DRAFT
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Jdj029'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 12, 2026

Random 5 April 12 w

  • Jdj029 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Caleb Downs Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (PIT)
Caleb Downs
S Ohio State
Monroe Freeling Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
Monroe Freeling
OT Georgia
Gennings Dunker Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Gennings Dunker
OG Iowa
Jake Golday Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Jake Golday
OLB Cincinnati
Darrell Jackson Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Darrell Jackson Jr.
DT Florida State
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Bud Clark Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (PIT)
Bud Clark
S TCU
Oscar Delp Head Shot
PICK: 161 RND: 5 (PIT)
Oscar Delp
TE Georgia
Domani Jackson Head Shot
PICK: 216 RND: 6 (PIT)
Domani Jackson
CB Alabama
Isaiah Jatta Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (PIT)
Isaiah Jatta
OT BYU
Cole Payton Head Shot
PICK: 230 RND: 7 (PIT)
Cole Payton
QB North Dakota State
Zavion Thomas Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (PIT)
Zavion Thomas
WR LSU
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall B
ValueA NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
Larceny in the Round 4 slot lands the Steelers a B, Branch and all.

Thirty-one other rooms let Zachariah Branch slide, and the Steelers were the ones holding the card at pick No. 121. Highway robbery. It nets out to a B, which feels about right.

Every board in the league had Jatta lower, and that gap is the story. The Dunker pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with linebacker and running back still on the board.

That linebacker hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.

A competent weekend that does not make headlines and does not need to.

Pick Analysis
Pick21 Rnd1 Caleb Downs
In the 21st pick they get a rangy last line of defense, and a steal at that. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick53 Rnd2 Monroe Freeling
Monroe Freeling in Round 2, Pick 21 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Pick76 Rnd3 Gennings Dunker
They zigged when the board said zag, taking Gennings Dunker at offensive lineman with linebacker and running back open.
Pick85 Rnd3 Jake Golday
A top-tier edge rusher at a bargain, Jake Golday in the Round 3 slot, plain and simple. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick99 Rnd3 Darrell Jackson Jr.
Darrell Jackson Jr. at the 99th overall pick jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick121 Rnd4 Zachariah Branch
Somehow Zachariah Branch was still sitting there in slot 121, and they pounced on premier wide receiver value. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick135 Rnd4 Bud Clark
Bud Clark at pick 135 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick161 Rnd5 Oscar Delp
Steal is underselling it; Oscar Delp at No. 161 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick216 Rnd6 Domani Jackson
You do not let a cornerback like Domani Jackson reach No. 216 and blink. They did not. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick224 Rnd7 Isaiah Jatta
A wild overpay on Isaiah Jatta in pick No. 224, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
Pick230 Rnd7 Cole Payton
A quarterback of that caliber at the 230th overall pick is the definition of value, full stop. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick237 Rnd7 Zavion Thomas
Nothing to complain about; Zavion Thomas went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.