The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to host the 2026 NFL Draft with the 21st overall pick and a pressing demand to address wide receiver depth after acquiring Michael Pittman Jr. In free agency.
General manager Omar Khan enters his fourth draft with the Steelers holding 12 total selections, including compensatory picks, as the team seeks to build on a 10-7 season that ended with a playoff loss to the Houston Texans and the subsequent resignation of Mike Tomlin.
Head coach Mike McCarthy, in his first season with Pittsburgh, has emphasized versatility in receiver prospects, stating he prefers players who can fill multiple roles rather than position-specific specialists who must be All-Pros to justify their roster spot.
The Steelers have hosted six wide receiver prospects for pre-draft visits: Alabama’s Germie Bernard, USC’s Makai Lemon, UConn’s Skyler Bell, Washington’s Denzel Boston, Cincinnati’s Jeff Caldwell, and Kentucky’s Kendrick Law, with Boston and Lemon viewed as most likely first-round options.
At 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds, Boston offers a big-bodied target to pair with Metcalf and Pittman, with ESPN analyst Daniel Jeremiah noting the combination would create “three giants” on the outside, a trait valued in McCarthy’s offensive scheme.
Taking Boston at No. 21 would signal confidence in 2024 second-round pick Roman Wilson, who has struggled with availability since being selected in the third round of the 2024 draft.
In his final mock draft, Steelers Depot analyst Clark projects the Steelers to select Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane at No. 21, citing his status as the best guard in the draft and a future All-Pro candidate, noting the team’s history of drafting offensive linemen in the first round under Khan.
For more on this story, see Steelers Host USC WR Makai Lemon for 2026 NFL Draft Visit.
Clark’s mock includes a trade sending picks No. 76 and No. 121 to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for No. 58, a move he acknowledges may appear unfavorable on trade value charts but argues is necessary given the 49ers’ limited draft capital.
With the acquired No. 58 pick, Clark projects the Steelers to select Iowa State defensive tackle Domonique Orange, a versatile interior lineman capable of playing finish or nose tackle with run-stuffing ability and pass-rush upside, addressing a need even after the signing of Sebastian Joseph-Day.
At No. 53 in the second round, Clark retains Alabama receiver Germie Bernard, a route-running specialist with blocking willingness who visited Pittsburgh and met with the team at the Combine, fitting the profile of a versatile receiver McCarthy seeks.
The Steelers’ draft strategy reflects a balance between immediate needs and long-term development, with Khan’s history of aggression in the draft suggesting he may use excess capital to move up for priority targets, as he did in 2023 when trading up for Broderick Jones.
Over his first three drafts, Khan has invested in both lines of scrimmage: two first-round picks (Jones and Troy Fautanu), a second (Zach Frazier), and a fourth (Mason McCormick) on offense, and a first (Derrick Harmon), a second (Keeanu Benton), and a fifth (Yahya Black) on defense.
The Steelers have now won nine or 10 games for four consecutive years but remain haunted by a playoff winless streak dating back to January 2017, having lost their last seven postseason games, a drought extended by the Texans’ dominant defensive performance in the most recent playoffs.
Why is the Steelers’ receiver depth still a concern after signing Michael Pittman Jr.?
Beyond Pittman and DK Metcalf, the Steelers have only two other receivers with meaningful experience: 2024 second-round pick Roman Wilson and special-teamer Ben Skowronek, leaving the group thin despite the Pittman acquisition.
What does Mike McCarthy mean by wanting receivers who can play “all three spots”?
McCarthy values versatility in his receivers so they can be moved between outside, slot, and other formations, allowing the quarterback to maintain consistent reads regardless of positioning, reducing reliance on elite, position-specific talent.
