wvumick'S MOCK DRAFT
  1. Home
  2. Simulator

wvumick'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 20, 2026

wvumick 7th 2026

  • wvumick DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Olaivavega Ioane Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (PIT)
Olaivavega Ioane
OG Penn State
Lee Hunter Head Shot
PICK: 53 RND: 2 (PIT)
Lee Hunter
DT Texas Tech
Treydan Stukes Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (PIT)
Treydan Stukes
CB Arizona
Germie Bernard Head Shot
PICK: 85 RND: 3 (PIT)
Germie Bernard
WR Alabama
Darrell Jackson Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Darrell Jackson Jr.
DT Florida State
Dametrious Crownover Head Shot
PICK: 121 RND: 4 (PIT)
Dametrious Crownover
OT Texas A&M
Cole Payton Head Shot
PICK: 135 RND: 4 (PIT)
Cole Payton
QB North Dakota State
Kevin Coleman Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 161 RND: 5 (PIT)
Kevin Coleman Jr.
WR Missouri
VJ Payne Head Shot
PICK: 216 RND: 6 (PIT)
VJ Payne
S Kansas State
Riley Nowakowski Head Shot
PICK: 230 RND: 7 (PIT)
Riley Nowakowski
TE Indiana
Thaddeus Dixon Head Shot
PICK: 237 RND: 7 (PIT)
Thaddeus Dixon
CB North Carolina
Draft Picks Received
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (DEN)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Harrison Wallace III Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (DEN)
Harrison Wallace III
WR Ole Miss
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall B-
ValueB- NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
Nothing loud, just a tidy B- for the Steelers.

When the story of this class is written, it opens with Cole Payton at slot 135, a reach of 67 spots that the board flatly disagrees with.

Getting Bernard where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. That edge rusher hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.

The Crownover pick reads as want over need, and the roster will feel it at edge rusher, linebacker and other spots.

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

Pick Analysis
Pick21 Rnd1 Olaivavega Ioane
In No. 21 they get an anchor for the offensive line. Need was not the driver here.
Pick53 Rnd2 Lee Hunter
Lee Hunter in pick No. 53 lands just on the right side of the ledger. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick76 Rnd3 Treydan Stukes
Treydan Stukes in slot 76 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick85 Rnd3 Germie Bernard
Germie Bernard in the 85th pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick99 Rnd3 Darrell Jackson Jr.
Darrell Jackson Jr. at Round 3, Pick 35 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick121 Rnd4 Dametrious Crownover
A surprising call. With edge rusher, linebacker and other spots still to address, they spent the 121st overall pick on Dametrious Crownover, an offensive lineman they were not short of.
Pick135 Rnd4 Cole Payton
Cole Payton at Round 4, Pick 35 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick161 Rnd5 Kevin Coleman Jr.
Kevin Coleman Jr. at the 161st pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick216 Rnd6 VJ Payne
VJ Payne is a better player than No. 216 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick230 Rnd7 Riley Nowakowski
Riley Nowakowski at the Round 7 slot nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick237 Rnd7 Thaddeus Dixon
Thaddeus Dixon slipping to pick 237 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.