The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot of needs to address in the 2025 NFL Draft after numerous positional shortcomings were revealed in the team’s five-game losing streak to end last season. General Manager Omar Khan and the Steelers staff made some moves this offseason to address some of those weaknesses, none more substantial than trading for superstar wide receiver DK Metcalf. They’ve still got a ways to go before they might resemble a true Super Bowl contender. It’ll start by nailing the draft in a few weeks.
Pro Football Network’s Reese Decker compiled a complete, seven-round mock draft on Saturday, and he had the Steelers going a slightly different route in Round 1 by landing Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston at Pick 21.
“If the Pittsburgh Steelers do land future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, they are entering win-now mode, passing on a quarterback with this pick and opting to address their need at corner,” wrote Decker. “Maxwell Hairston was a two-year starter and captain at Kentucky, with 32 games of SEC experience under his belt. He’s a high-effort player with elite speed, great instincts, and visible confidence. He’s a true ball hawk, with three forced fumbles and six interceptions. He is tied for the school record for the most interceptions returned for a touchdown with three.”
ESPN’s official draft rankings have Hairston slotted as the 27th-best prospect overall and fourth-best cornerback. His ridiculous 4.28 40-yard dash at the combine certainly helped his stock. That being said, our own Alex Kozora labeled him as a mid-Day 2 caliber player, lacking some strength and tackling ability that could limit his upside at the NFL level. Perhaps more significant is the idea of drafting a corner in the first round considering they took Joey Porter Jr. with the 32nd pick in 2023, and they’ve got an even bigger need at defensive tackle.
If Aaron Rodgers finally signs with the Steelers as Decker is predicting, then it’s much less likely that the Steelers reach for a quarterback in the first round like so many mock drafts have them doing. Decker still had the Steelers going quarterback with their second pick, by grabbing Louisville’s Tyler Shough in the third round.
Shough is old (turning 26 in September) and he’s got an extensive injury history. But he battled through it all, finishing his college career with a stellar season for Louisville. He’s 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, with solid accuracy, athleticism, and the unique ability to avoid sacks and big hits.
Here’s each Steelers selection in Pro Football Network’s 7-round mock draft, with links to our full scouting reports on each player.
Round 1, Pick 21: Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
Round 3, Pick 83: Tyler Shough, QB, Louisville
Round 4, Pick 123: Denzel Burke, CB, Ohio State
Round 5, Pick 156: Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
Round 6, Pick 185: Mello Dotson, CB, Kansas
Round 7, Pick 229: Cam Jackson, DT, Florida
Three cornerbacks out of six total picks is interesting. While Burke can play in the slot and was getting first-round buzz ahead of the season, he struggled last year at Ohio State, and a third cornerback in Dotson seems unnecessary, even if he showed some flashes at Kansas.
Waiting until the seventh round to address the defensive line also would appear to be a failure by the Steelers, given that it looks to be their biggest need and the position is the favorite to be Pittsburgh’s first-round pick.
The unexpected is what makes the NFL Draft so intriguing, and only a select few in the war room know exactly who the Steelers are targeting, the potential trades they might make, and the positions that they’re prioritizing. But taking three cornerbacks doesn’t feel very likely, especially with the team passing on the defensive line to do so.
