steelers3'S MOCK DRAFT
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steelers3'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON MAR 2, 2026

steelers3

  • steelers3 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Olaivavega Ioane Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (PIT)
Olaivavega Ioane
OG Penn State
Omar Cooper Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
Omar Cooper Jr.
WR Indiana
Josiah Trotter Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Josiah Trotter
LB Missouri
Jake Golday Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Jake Golday
OLB Cincinnati
Zakee Wheatley Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Zakee Wheatley
S Penn State
Bryce Lance Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
Bryce Lance
WR North Dakota State
Eli Raridon Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (PIT)
Eli Raridon
TE Notre Dame
Jude Bowry Head Shot
PICK: 159 RND: 5 (PIT)
Jude Bowry
OT Boston College
Toriano Pride Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 213 RND: 6 (PIT)
Toriano Pride Jr.
CB Missouri
Jimmy Rolder Head Shot
PICK: 214 RND: 6 (PIT)
Jimmy Rolder
LB Michigan
TJ Hall Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (PIT)
TJ Hall
CB Iowa
Cole Payton Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (PIT)
Cole Payton
QB North Dakota State
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall B-
ValueB NeedB- TradesB- FutureB-
The Steelers won the night they stopped Golday from sliding. Grade: B-.

The best pick of the weekend was also the simplest. The Steelers watched Jake Golday slide 25 picks past his grade and did not hesitate.

If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through interior defensive lineman. Quarterback was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job. The offense got the lion's share of the attention.

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

Pick Analysis
Pick21 Rnd1 Olaivavega Ioane
In pick 21 they get an anchor for the offensive line. Need was not the driver here.
Pick53 Rnd2 Omar Cooper Jr.
Omar Cooper Jr. at the 53rd pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It fills a real need, too.
Pick76 Rnd3 Josiah Trotter
They will replay Josiah Trotter at pick No. 76 for years; that is how good the value is. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick85 Rnd3 Jake Golday
Steal is underselling it; Jake Golday at slot 85 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick99 Rnd3 Zakee Wheatley
They read the board right and Zakee Wheatley was the payoff at the 99th overall pick. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick121 Rnd4 Bryce Lance
They paid sticker price for Bryce Lance in Round 4, Pick 21, and that is fine. The roster fit checks out.
Pick135 Rnd4 Eli Raridon
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Eli Raridon at the Round 4 slot. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick159 Rnd5 Jude Bowry
A slide stopped in No. 159, with Jude Bowry worth more than the price. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
Pick213 Rnd6 Toriano Pride Jr.
A clean, defensible pick in the 213th overall pick with a little surplus value in Toriano Pride Jr.. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick214 Rnd6 Jimmy Rolder
Jimmy Rolder in slot 214 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick224 Rnd7 TJ Hall
TJ Hall at Round 7, Pick 8 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the cornerback. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick237 Rnd7 Cole Payton
A straight-up fair deal on Cole Payton at the 237th pick, value and slot in agreement. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.