Gatsby'S MOCK DRAFT
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Gatsby'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 16, 2026

Streeles Will Howard Starts

  • Gatsby DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Gennings Dunker Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (PIT)
Gennings Dunker
OT Iowa
Olaivavega Ioane Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
Olaivavega Ioane
OG Penn State
Skyler Bell Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Skyler Bell
WR UConn
A.J. Haulcy Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
A.J. Haulcy
S LSU
Darrell Jackson Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Darrell Jackson Jr.
DT Florida State
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Kevin Coleman Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 136 RND: 4 (PIT)
Kevin Coleman Jr.
WR Missouri
Red Murdock Head Shot
PICK: 160 RND: 5 (PIT)
Red Murdock
LB Buffalo
Gunner Stockton Head Shot
PICK: 213 RND: 6 (PIT)
Gunner Stockton
QB Georgia
Brandon Inniss Head Shot
PICK: 214 RND: 6 (PIT)
Brandon Inniss
WR Ohio State
Jack Velling Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (PIT)
Jack Velling
TE Michigan State
Tony Rojas Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (PIT)
Tony Rojas
LB Penn State
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall B-
ValueB- NeedB- TradesB- FutureB-
More right than wrong for the Steelers, and a B- to prove it.

The Steelers bet big and early on Tony Rojas, 52 picks ahead of the board. Bold does not always mean right.

If one pick saves this weekend, it is Haulcy. A whole weekend of picks and edge rusher is somehow still a want. It is not that Ioane is a bad player; it is that the Steelers had louder needs to answer first.

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

Pick Analysis
Pick21 Rnd1 Gennings Dunker
In slot 21 they get a plug-and-play piece up front. Need was not the driver here.
Pick53 Rnd2 Olaivavega Ioane
They bypassed pressing needs at edge rusher and running back to take Olaivavega Ioane, an offensive lineman that was not the priority.
Pick76 Rnd3 Skyler Bell
They paid a round early for Skyler Bell in No. 76, more than the board wanted. It fills a real need, too.
Pick85 Rnd3 A.J. Haulcy
A.J. Haulcy in the 85th pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick99 Rnd3 Darrell Jackson Jr.
Darrell Jackson Jr. in Round 3, Pick 35 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick121 Rnd4 D'Angelo Ponds
D'Angelo Ponds at pick 121 is money in the bank, a cornerback taken below his worth. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick136 Rnd4 Kevin Coleman Jr.
A premium they did not need to pay, Kevin Coleman Jr. a notch or two before his time. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick160 Rnd5 Red Murdock
They went early on Red Murdock in Round 5, Pick 21, and the value did not follow. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick213 Rnd6 Gunner Stockton
No edge and no loss on Gunner Stockton in pick 213; it is a wash and a sensible one. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick214 Rnd6 Brandon Inniss
Brandon Inniss in the 214th overall pick is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick224 Rnd7 Jack Velling
Jack Velling at pick No. 224 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick237 Rnd7 Tony Rojas
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Tony Rojas well ahead of where he belonged. The roster fit checks out.