NFL insider Albert Breer anticipates the Pittsburgh Steelers will target immediate contributors with their 21st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, confident in Aaron Rodgers' return. ESPN analyst Benjamin Solak urges the team to add youth to the secondary and defensive line while drafting a developmental quarterback. The Steelers hold a league-high 12 picks and are hosting the event.
The Pittsburgh Steelers replaced head coach Mike Tomlin with Mike McCarthy this offseason, signaling no rebuild despite no playoff wins in nearly a decade. Breer, speaking on the 2 Pros and a Cup of Joe show, said, “I’d be surprised if they took a quarterback with the 21st pick.” He pointed to prospects like cornerbacks Colton Hood or Avieon Terrell and safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren from Toledo, who visited Pittsburgh pre-draft, as fitting a win-now strategy around Rodgers. Breer noted the weak quarterback class deters an early selection there, with the team avoiding another Kenny Pickett scenario. McNeil-Warren's visit underscores interest, though safeties are not the top need, while rookie corners face stiff competition from Joey Porter Jr. and Jamel Dean. Other fits include Penn State's Vega Ioane at left guard and wide receivers Makai Lemon or Denzel Boston, both pre-draft visitors. Solak outlined three priorities for the Steelers to ace the draft: multiple picks for younger talent in the secondary and defensive line, plus a developmental quarterback. He highlighted the aging secondary—Jalen Ramsey at 31, DeShon Elliott nearing 29, Dean at 30, and Brandin Echols at 29—despite Porter as the cornerstone. The team met 16 defensive backs at the Combine and hosted seven for visits, plus defensive linemen like Florida State's Darrell Jackson Jr. and Illinois' James Thompson Jr. For quarterback, Solak suggested LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, son of McCarthy's former Dallas colleague Doug Nussmeier, or Ty Simpson, amid expectations of Rodgers' second Pittsburgh season and faith in Will Howard.