aechean'S MOCK DRAFT
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aechean'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON MAR 29, 2026

Steel Curtain D

  • aechean DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (PIT)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Jacob Rodriguez Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
Jacob Rodriguez
LB Texas Tech
Harold Perkins Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Harold Perkins Jr.
LB LSU
Dontay Corleone Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Dontay Corleone
DT Cincinnati
Malik Muhammad Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Malik Muhammad
CB Texas
Bud Clark Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
Bud Clark
S TCU
Mikail Kamara Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (PIT)
Mikail Kamara
DE-EDGE Indiana
Patrick Payton Head Shot
PICK: 161 RND: 5 (PIT)
Patrick Payton
DL-EDGE LSU
Nick Barrett Head Shot
PICK: 216 RND: 6 (PIT)
Nick Barrett
DL South Carolina
Thaddeus Dixon Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (PIT)
Thaddeus Dixon
CB North Carolina
Xavier Nwankpa Head Shot
PICK: 230 RND: 7 (PIT)
Xavier Nwankpa
S Iowa
Robert Spears-Jennings Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (PIT)
Robert Spears-Jennings
S Oklahoma
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall B-
ValueC NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
The Steelers checked most of the boxes and earned a B-.

Boards are made to be trusted, and the Steelers shredded theirs for Patrick Payton. He came off 86 spots early, and the room will hear about it. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B-.

A whole weekend of picks and quarterback is somehow still a want. The Clark steal is the beam this whole class leans on. They left with interior defensive lineman solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.

The weekend tilted hard toward the defense.

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

Pick Analysis
Pick21 Rnd1 Sonny Styles
In No. 21 they get a sideline-to-sideline linebacker at fair value. A real need, handled.
Pick53 Rnd2 Jacob Rodriguez
Value said wait; Jacob Rodriguez in the 53rd overall pick says they were not listening. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick76 Rnd3 Harold Perkins Jr.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Harold Perkins Jr. in the 76th pick, miles early. The roster fit checks out.
Pick85 Rnd3 Dontay Corleone
You do not let an interior defensive lineman like Dontay Corleone reach pick No. 85 and blink. They did not. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick99 Rnd3 Malik Muhammad
Malik Muhammad at the Round 3 slot is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick121 Rnd4 Bud Clark
Bud Clark at Round 4, Pick 21 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick135 Rnd4 Mikail Kamara
They jumped the gun on Mikail Kamara, taking him earlier than his grade liked. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick161 Rnd5 Patrick Payton
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Patrick Payton well ahead of where he belonged. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick216 Rnd6 Nick Barrett
They left a pile of value on the table to take Nick Barrett this early at No. 216. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick224 Rnd7 Thaddeus Dixon
Thaddeus Dixon in slot 224 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick230 Rnd7 Xavier Nwankpa
They paid sticker price for Xavier Nwankpa in the Round 7 slot, and that is fine. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick237 Rnd7 Robert Spears-Jennings
Robert Spears-Jennings in the 237th pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.