Ganell'S MOCK DRAFT
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Ganell'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON FEB 13, 2026

Steelers Mock 2026 4

  • Ganell DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Kayden McDonald Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (PIT)
Kayden McDonald
DT Ohio State
Anthony Hill Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
Anthony Hill Jr.
LB Texas
Malachi Fields Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Malachi Fields
WR Notre Dame
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Jaeden Roberts Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Jaeden Roberts
OG Alabama
Jalon Kilgore Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
Jalon Kilgore
S South Carolina
Kyle Louis Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (PIT)
Kyle Louis
LB Pittsburgh
J'Mari Taylor Head Shot
PICK: 159 RND: 5 (PIT)
J'Mari Taylor
RB Virginia
Bryce Foster Head Shot
PICK: 213 RND: 6 (PIT)
Bryce Foster
C Kansas
Cole Payton Head Shot
PICK: 214 RND: 6 (PIT)
Cole Payton
QB North Dakota State
Riley Mahlman Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (PIT)
Riley Mahlman
OT Wisconsin
Ethan O'Connor Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (PIT)
Ethan O'Connor
CB Miami
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall B-
ValueB- NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
A respectable, level-headed haul for the Steelers: B-.

You can draft well and still miss the point. The Steelers did plenty of tidy work and somehow never got around to edge rusher, which was the need that mattered most. No fireworks, but a solid B-.

The cost of the Roberts reach is exactly the players who went right after him. The Hill Jr. steal is the beam this whole class leans on.

Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.

Pick Analysis
Pick21 Rnd1 Kayden McDonald
In the Round 1 slot they get a run-stuffing presence up front. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick53 Rnd2 Anthony Hill Jr.
Anthony Hill Jr. slipping to pick 53 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick76 Rnd3 Malachi Fields
Fair-plus on Malachi Fields, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick85 Rnd3 Zachariah Branch
Good price on Zachariah Branch in the 85th pick, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It fills a real need, too.
Pick99 Rnd3 Jaeden Roberts
A real head-scratcher, Jaeden Roberts in No. 99 is miles ahead of his ranking. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Pick121 Rnd4 Jalon Kilgore
A clean, defensible pick in pick No. 121 with a little surplus value in Jalon Kilgore. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick135 Rnd4 Kyle Louis
A reach for Kyle Louis in Round 4, Pick 35; a little patience would have been rewarded. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick159 Rnd5 J'Mari Taylor
Quietly one of the better values of the day, J'Mari Taylor at the 159th overall pick. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick213 Rnd6 Bryce Foster
They paid sticker price for Bryce Foster in pick No. 213, and that is fine. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
Pick214 Rnd6 Cole Payton
Value with a capital V on Cole Payton in the Round 6 slot, a genuine coup. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick224 Rnd7 Riley Mahlman
They jumped the gun on Riley Mahlman, taking him earlier than his grade liked. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
Pick237 Rnd7 Ethan O'Connor
A straight-up fair deal on Ethan O'Connor at the 237th overall pick, value and slot in agreement. A need, and now a little less of one.