Buckem'S MOCK DRAFT
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Buckem'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 30, 2026

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Mock drafts from Buckem

Steelers rebuild

  • Buckem DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Fernando Mendoza Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (PIT)
Fernando Mendoza
QB Indiana
Carnell Tate Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
Carnell Tate
WR Ohio State
Mansoor Delane Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Mansoor Delane
CB LSU
Spencer Fano Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Spencer Fano
OT Utah
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
David Bailey Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
David Bailey
LB-EDGE Texas Tech
Kayden McDonald Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (PIT)
Kayden McDonald
DL Ohio State
Jordyn Tyson Head Shot
PICK: 159 RND: 5 (PIT)
Jordyn Tyson
WR Arizona State
Akheem Mesidor Head Shot
PICK: 213 RND: 6 (PIT)
Akheem Mesidor
DL-EDGE Miami
Jermod McCoy Head Shot
PICK: 214 RND: 6 (PIT)
Jermod McCoy
CB Tennessee
Ja'Kobi Lane Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (PIT)
Ja'Kobi Lane
WR USC
Chase Bisontis Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (PIT)
Chase Bisontis
OG Texas A&M
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall B
ValueA+ NeedB+ TradesB- FutureB-
The Steelers left with their quarterback, and a B to match.

The board owed the Steelers one, and it paid up: Jermod McCoy, the No. 9 name on the board, sitting there at Round 6, Pick 35 like a gift left on the doorstep. The bottom line is a respectable B.

They have staked the next five years on Fernando Mendoza, which is the only story that really matters here. The linebacker hole is the one line item this class does not answer.

The roster is better shaped than it was, with quarterback chief among the fixes. Almost all the early capital went to that side of the ball.

A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.

Pick Analysis
Pick21 Rnd1 Fernando Mendoza
In No. 21 they get a franchise quarterback, outstanding value to boot. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Pick53 Rnd2 Carnell Tate
Carnell Tate at Round 2, Pick 21 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick76 Rnd3 Mansoor Delane
Steal is underselling it; Mansoor Delane at the 76th pick is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick85 Rnd3 Spencer Fano
Spencer Fano in the 85th overall pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Pick99 Rnd3 Dillon Thieneman
They barely believed it either: Dillon Thieneman still on the board at the Round 3 slot. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick121 Rnd4 David Bailey
David Bailey in Round 4, Pick 21 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick135 Rnd4 Kayden McDonald
They will replay Kayden McDonald at No. 135 for years; that is how good the value is. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick159 Rnd5 Jordyn Tyson
They robbed the room for Jordyn Tyson here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick213 Rnd6 Akheem Mesidor
A top-tier edge rusher at a bargain, Akheem Mesidor in pick 213, plain and simple. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick214 Rnd6 Jermod McCoy
The board fumbled Jermod McCoy all the way to slot 214, and they scooped it up. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick224 Rnd7 Ja'Kobi Lane
Circle this one: Ja'Kobi Lane at Round 7, Pick 8 is a fall that decides a draft. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick237 Rnd7 Chase Bisontis
Taking Chase Bisontis in pick No. 237 is close to grand larceny; an offensive lineman that good had no business lasting this long. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.