For months, I have spent time talking about what the Pittsburgh Steelers will do come draft weekend. Studying their Pro Day movements, pre-draft visits, and team needs to try and predict who the team will select Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We have you covered with our Steelers draft day packet.
Now, it’s time for me to share my opinion. Many of you ask what I would do even though that’s clearly irrelevant to what’s about to happen these next three days. But to speak now and not hold my peace, this is what I would do – or at least try to do – in Rounds 1 through 7.
First Round – Trade Down, Draft Ohio State DL Tyleik Williams
I know, I know. Who does Pittsburgh trade with? There’s no magic wand that makes you slide down in a draft, especially in a class lacking top-end talent to go up for. But the Steelers can work the phones and find a dance partner. No one fits better than the Houston Texans.
Reportedly on the short list of teams working the phones to move up, the Texans need an offensive tackle in the worst way. With a possible/expected run on offensive linemen in the top 10, there could only be 1-2 targets in the 20s. That’ll create urgency for the Texans to make a move, especially if they feel a team like the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 31 are attempting to do the same.
My trade terms are the same as I proposed in my weekend post.
Steelers Trade: No. 21, No. 156
Texans Trade: No. 25, No. 89
The Texans have a pair of third-round picks and can afford to give one up. Pittsburgh moves down a little, sticking with its conservative nature (even in a what I would do world, I’m still cognizant of that) while picking up a top-100 selection and getting a second Day 2 pick.
The Texans get to secure their left tackle, whoever that may be, and No. 156 helps bridge a long gap they’d otherwise have. In current order, they pick at No. 89 and not again until No. 166. Adding a spot 10 picks higher isn’t much but it at least gives them another Day 3 selection and perhaps something they can use in a future trade.
That’s the trade. Why make Williams the pick? It’s a loaded defensive line class with lots of talent. Much as I like Derrick Harmon, the gap between him and Williams isn’t large and it’s worth “losing” him even in a trade down (I’m going to assume in this world, Harmon isn’t available after trading down. If he is, I’d still take him).
Pittsburgh needs to stop the run. For my money, Williams is the best run-stopping defensive lineman of the class or at least, the top 5-6 ones. Immovable in the middle of the Buckeyes’ defense, he freed up everyone else during the team’s national championship run. College stats can be badly skewed but Ohio State had the second-best run defense in the FBS, allowing 2.65 yards per carry.
Williams’ tape is excellent and consistent. I placed a first-round grade on him. He’s only 22, experienced, and I compared him to Dalvin Tomlinson. At 334 pounds, Williams would play nose tackle with Keeanu Benton playing LDE in the Steelers’ base system. Benton would still work over center and guard in sub-packages.
Yes, there will be questions about Williams’ snap count. How much he gets on the field for. But I don’t view him as nose tackle only. He’s not going to be a great pass rusher, but he pushes the pocket with strength which will only make the Steelers’ outside linebackers, the engine of their defense, more effective. He can be a 3-5 sack player per season, which is basically what he was his final two years at Ohio State. Williams was also effective impacting pass lanes, batting down 10 career passes, including five in 2023. Even in nickel, you better stop the run and Williams can.
If Pittsburgh could trade down even lower than 25, it would be even better in considering Williams. But it would likely need to be above the Buffalo Bills at No. 30, as they may also have interest. Bottom line is this. In my world, Pittsburgh trades down, acquires a top-100 pick, and gets a really talented defensive lineman who is stout against the run and offers enough against the pass that he won’t be limited to *just* base packages.
Summarizing the rest, here’s how the remainder of the draft would look like in my ideal but still-realistic world. Reminder this reflects my trade of getting No. 89 and giving up No. 156, meaning the Steelers are without a fifth-round pick.
My Ideal Draft Results
Round 1 – Tyleik Williams/NT Ohio State
Round 3 – Charles Grant/OT William & Mary
Round 3 – Will Howard/QB Ohio State
Round 4 – Devin Neal/RB Kansas
Round 6 – Jackson Hawes/TE Georgia Tech
Round 7 – Dan Jackson/S Georgia
Surprise! Another offensive lineman. It feels tiresome to keep investing this way but it’s critical. There are big questions over Broderick Jones and the jury remains out on Troy Fautanu after a lost rookie year. Grant is a perfect fit for Arthur Smith’s outside zone scheme, a plus athlete.
Even if Jones and Fautanu flourish, it’s possible Grant kicks inside to play guard. He could replace Isaac Seumalo, who is going into the final year of his deal, for 2026. Adding all these skills players won’t mean anything if the front five doesn’t become a top unit.
Howard is my rare exception to draft a mid-round quarterback. There’s starter upside, and he helps stabilize the room, essentially guaranteeing two are with the team in 2026 in Mason Rudolph and Howard. His touch and accuracy from the pocket are impressive and he fits the vertical throw offense well.
Neal is my guy at running back and gets lost in a deep class. Hawes is a solid and physical blocker while Jackson will be a decades-long special teams ace, an eventual successor to Miles Killebrew.
I don’t have a wide receiver mostly because I think this is a bad wide receiver class. There are a handful of guys I like more than most, (Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor, Arkansas’ Andrew Armstrong) but this isn’t the year to take the swing. Maybe in 2026. I’d only trade George Pickens if I got a really good offer. A second rounder or at minimum, an early third and even then, I might still decline.
Finally, a quick ranking of my top quarterbacks of the class. I didn’t have the time to go in-depth here or at wide receiver, but I wanted to save these for posterity. I know plenty of this could turn out incorrect but I’m on record to show where I’m proven right…and wrong.
QB Rankings
1. Cam Ward
2. Shedeur Sanders
3. Will Howard
4. Tyler Shough
5. Jaxson Dart
6. Jalen Milroe
I only have a first-round grade on Ward.
