Welcome to draft week. By week’s end, the Pittsburgh Steelers will welcome a new rookie class. Despite having nearly all the information and clues to which direction Pittsburgh will go, this might be the hardest draft to figure out yet. When quarterback is on the table, and it clearly is, it sucks up all the oxygen in the room. It must be studied and considered and debated until someone is taken, or some outside source swoops in to save the franchise as its long-term option.
Separating fact from fiction on anything quarterback-related is tough. The 2025 class isn’t particularly strong, creating additional projection.
Here’s what we know: Cam Ward will go No. 1 overall. Here’s what we don’t know: everything else.
Will the New Orleans Saints take Shedeur Sanders at No. 9? If not, how far does he fall? Could Pittsburgh trade up or would it only consider him if he lasted to No. 21? Where does the team stand on Jaxson Dart and Jalen Milroe? If the Steelers truly have a first-round grade on Dart, why wouldn’t they take him in the first round? And if they bypass quarterback at the top for any reason, will they consider a mid-round option?
The homework they have done on the position, four quarterbacks brought in for visits and three Pro Days attended by Mike Tomlin, suggests they won’t leave the draft empty-handed.
Defensive line has been the clubhouse leader since the Steelers’ offseason began. But their interest in the class’s top names has been more lukewarm than expected. Oregon’s Derrick Harmon was the only top d-lineman to come in for a pre-draft visit while Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen doesn’t check the Steelers’ historical draft boxes and interest in Michigan’s Kenneth Grant was less than obvious, muddied by Aaron Rodgers’ visit. DL Coach Karl Dunbar wasn’t spotted once on the Pro Day trail, only appearing at the NFL Combine to put prospects through the paces.
Instead, the team spent lots of energy on mid-round options like Florida State’s Joshua Farmer, Oregon’s Jamaree Caldwell, and SMU’s Jared Harrison-Hunte. A strong and deep class suggests the Steelers could be content waiting to draft the position in the third or fourth round.
Predicting the team will draft a running back is easy. Figuring out who is hard. Nine prospects were brought in for visits from first-round options like North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton and Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson, to third-round possibilities like Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson and Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten, and Day 3 options in Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II and Texas’ Jaydon Blue.
What about wide receiver? The Steelers have done more than just poked around. Wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni was more active on the Pro Day trail than any other of the team’s position coaches and Pittsburgh brought in a string of first- and second-round options, despite not having a second-round pick. Is it due diligence, forward-thinking for 2026, or the embers of a George Pickens trade?
Then there are the unknowns. No draft goes perfectly as expected. Last year, the thought of the Steelers drafting three offensive linemen in the top four rounds was outlandish. In 2023, two trades – one up and one down – shook up everything. Will Pittsburgh make a move up for a quarterback? Trade down to acquire additional top-100 capital? Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin will speak Tuesday, but any responses will be vague and keep all doors open.
Could the Steelers draft a cornerback? There’s long-term need on the outside and in the slot. What about tight end? Depth behind Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington is thin and it’s a good class.
I posed plenty of questions. I wish I could provide as many answers. The Steelers’ draft feels wide open, making this weekend one full of intrigue and surprise.
