The suspense is finally over. On Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers made the franchise’s latest top pick in the NFL Draft. Arizona State tackle Max Iheanachor fills a need that Ryland and I have been hinting at since the beginning of the offseason. It felt inevitable that the Steelers would take a tackle; the question was just when that would be. The Steelers were reportedly on the phone with Makai Lemon and were prepared to take the wideout when the Eagles leapfrogged them to make the pick.
While this may have many of our readers groaning in the comments, this might end up being a fortuitous turn of events for the Steelers. True franchise tackles, like quarterbacks, are typically drafted highly. Plus, both of the mid-round pre-draft visitors Pittsburgh brought in — Miami’s Markel Bell and Memphis’ Travis Burke — have flaws to their games. Namely, that they’re stiff movers in space and will always have leverage issues due to their extreme height. With the team not expected to exercise the fifth-year option or extend Broderick Jones, and presumedly pursuing a rookie quarterback in 2027, the Steelers would not have been able to address both quarterback and tackle with premium picks next year.
Regardless of how you feel about the pick, though, the intrigue of the draft is far from over. The Steelers presently have four picks available to them tomorrow: 53, 76, 85, and 99. Will they barter any of those for a trade-up for a wide receiver or guard? Will they stay put and just take the top player on their board at all four picks? That’s one of the most intriguing storylines for the Steelers this draft cycle. Regardless of what they do, Ryland and I have you covered with a list of the best available players at positions of need for the Black & Gold.
RB: Five receivers were drafted in the first round, but it’s a deep enough class that there’s still plenty of value to find on Day 2. I doubt Boston or Brazzell make it to the Steelers’ draft range, but Bernard is a name to circle as a top-30 visit with a do-it-all profile. Higher-upside options such as Lance and Hurst would provide some juice on the outside, while Williams is a compact, NFL-ready slot option. This class does start to run out of names who could significantly help the Steelers’ need at wide receiver after this top 10, but there’s still a nice variety of talented archetypes who should be available in the second and third.
RP: Olaivavega Ioane was the draft prize many were hoping for, but unfortunately, he was predictably high on the Ravens’ list as well. Ryland’s guy, Keylan Rutledge, was the only other player announced as a guard taken Thursday night, though several of the early tackle prospects might find themselves at guard eventually because of concerns about arm length. I still think the Steelers are going to be more conservative about trading up than many fans want, but if they did, Bisontis is the one name here I could see the Steelers ponying up for. Pregnon would be a solid pick, but he will turn 25 in October. I’m not sure you trade up for a prospect with that age profile, but in a weird draft class, he’s a safe pick with no major flaws beyond his age. Kentucky’s Jalen Farmer is a road grader and one of my personal faves, as is tackle-convert Kage Casey. Iowa’s Gennings Dunker will be high on many lists, but he’s a bit stiff for my liking. He’s better in gap schemes than in zone.
RB: This is a startlingly deep defensive back class, made even stronger by first-round hopefuls McCoy (injury) and Terrell (injury; poor testing) dropping to Day 2. But even after that, there are plenty of exciting options. Some of my favorites include Ponds, a feisty and uber-athletic slot option who might still be able to play on the outside in the NFL, and Igbinosun, a lengthy boundary corner who’s immensely physical in coverage. Stukes and Muhammad are Steelers pre-draft visits and also a lot of fun – the former is an athletic, ball-hawking nickel who might fit best as a free safety in the NFL, and the latter is a lean coverage specialist on the outside. I could go on and on about more names on and off this top 10 – there will absolutely be good value here at all four of the Steelers’ upcoming Day 2 picks.
RP: The Steelers still have three pre-draft visitors available to them should they want to select a safety on Friday. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a turnover-generating machine (16 combined career forced fumbles and interceptions), but the NFL’s reluctance to draft safeties early saw only Ohio State’s Caleb Downs and Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman get their names called on Night 1. He will likely go within the first several picks of the second round, but would become a value at 53. Ryland touched on Stukes’ cornerback-safety versatility above. Pittsburgh’s Kyle Louis, the linebacker-slot defender tweener feels rich at 53, but would make sense in the third round. Kansas State’s VJ Payne is a solid alternative to McNeil-Warren if the Steelers are looking for a similar archetype of player later in the draft.
RB: I went with only five players here, as it’s a weak quarterback class and I wouldn’t expect any names outside this list to go in Rounds 2-3. Of the passers listed above, it’s sort of a choose-your-flavor situation. Nussmeier is undersized and inconsistent with underrated arm talent and a gunslinger mentality. Allar has the size and arm of a franchise quarterback, but hasn’t come all that close to putting everything together. Green has even more traits, but is an even more of an incomplete product. Payton was a productive, one-year FCS starter with intriguing athleticism, but there are questions as to what will translate to the pros. Beck was the most successful of this group in college, but he’s also the most maxed out physically and still has some accuracy and decision-making questions. He probably has the highest floor as a long-term backup, but the Steelers should be in search of ceilings. All but Nussmeier had pre-draft visits on the South Side.
RP: We’ve reached the positions that could use an upgrade on the Steelers roster, but aren’t totally desperate needs. CJ Allen is one of the smartest prospects in the class, with teams reportedly raving about his grasp of the Georgia defense. It comes as no surprise that he wore the Green Dot for the Bull Dogs. So too did Jacob Rodriguez, who I imagine would be the more popular pick among fans. Rodriguez is slightly undersized and can occasionally get stuck in traffic, but he’s a playmaker on defense who forces a ton of turnovers ( 7 FF and 4 INTs in 2025) and looks the part of a modern NFL linebacker in coverage. Rodriguez also had a pre-draft visit in Pittsburgh. Trotter isn’t much for pass coverage, but he’s one of the best and most violent run stuffers in this class. Elliott is another strong option and wore the Green Dot for the Sun Devils. Arizona State had some good prospects this year.
RB: It’s not a great defensive line class, but there are still some good names available, even if the talent level drops off fairly quickly. But if you need a nose tackle, I have good news. Hunter, McDonald, and Miller are all premium run stuffers, and I’d argue Orange is right there with them. Jackson is the Steelers’ pre-draft visit to keep an eye on, with 35-inch arms and a strong run-stuffing profile. Other names to watch include Halton, a disruptive, undersized three-tech, and Onyedim, who has a great length/athleticism combination.
RP: Truthfully, I see the Steelers only considering Delp or Kacmarek in the third round, and being cool leaving the position until Day 3 otherwise. Both Klare and Stowers are pass-catching weapons but not solid blockers, so I don’t think they really fit what the team needs, unless they’re out on Pat Friermuth, but there are no indications that is the case. I think the Steelers will be more focused on the blocking ability of whatever tight end they eventually select, and with the potential exceptions of Kacmarek and Delp, a lot of those guys can be found in the later rounds.
Read our scouting reports on each player on BTSC’s pre-draft visitor big board HERE.
Who are your top targets for the Steelers on Day 2? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!