It’s a new era for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Long-time head coach Mike Tomlin stepped away from the game, and while he’s not new to the league, new head coach Mike McCarthy is set to take over for Pittsburgh.
It’ll be McCarthy’s first draft with the Steelers, and it’s an important one. The first draft class with an organization sets the tone and helps build the culture wanted for the immediate future. McCarthy has had his fair share of hits in the first round in his previous spots in Green Bay and Dallas, selecting linebacker AJ Hawk and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
With the Steelers, he’ll be selecting at pick No. 21, and for the different routes Pittsburgh can go in this draft, there will be solid options there on the offensive and defensive ends.
Let’s rank the prospects the Steelers could target in the first round.
1. Max Iheanachor – Arizona State, OT
Looking at this Steelers roster, it’s actually in pretty good shape. There isn’t an immediate need, aside from the quarterback position, but it’s expected that Aaron Rodgers will return in 2026.
With a new regime in place, patience is thinning. Left tackle Broderick Jones hasn’t been what Pittsburgh anticipated selecting him in the first round of the 2023 draft.
Enter Iheanachor, he’s 6-foot-6 and 321 pounds and ran a 4.91 40 at the NFL combine. A man that size shouldn’t be moving that fast, but that’s the athleticism Iheanachor has. He needs some fine-tuning within his game, but his tape is a lot cleaner than you’d expect from a player who just started playing football in college at the JUCO level.
He may not be ready to take the field from Day 1, but he could give the Steelers their future starter at right tackle, and current right tackle Troy Fautanu could slide to left.
2. Blake Miller – Clemson, OT
Miller has the same mindset as Iheanachor. I like Iheanachor more as a prospect, not just because of his athleticism, but because I felt he had better overall strength than Miller and more fluidity to his game. That doesn’t take away from the player Miller is, though.
Miller is the complete opposite of Iheanachor; he’s seen plenty of playing time in his college career, having over 3,500 snaps. He doesn’t win with pure strength or move people in the run game, but the technique is there, and he’s a smart player overall. He can be a plug-and-play option for McCarty if Jones struggles early in the 2026 season.
3. Omar Cooper Jr. – Indiana, WR
I feel like a lot of people have written off wide receiver for the Steelers following the Michael Pittman Jr. trade, and while that’s fair – with how this first round is built – a wide receiver can easily be taken here. It’s Pittman, DK Metcalf and Roman Wilson as the top three options for Pittsburgh.
Cooper has the versatility from the slot and thrives on having the ball in his hands. Can turn screens into larger gains with his elite YAC ability, but he’s also a threat down the field. Not the cleanest when it comes to route running, but he is a smart route runner with elite release and excellent speed – he ran a 4.42 40 at the NFL combine.
The versatility and speed of Cooper would give McCarthy a ton of fun possibilities with him on the inside and the two bigger receivers of Pittman and Metcalf on the outside.
4. Olaivavega Ioane – Penn State, OG
Ionae is the one player on this list I’m not fully sure would get here, but if he does, my lord, would he just fit into the Steelers and the AFC North culture. The team lost offensive guard Isaac Seumalo this offseason, and the current projected starters at both guard spots are Spencer Anderson and Mason McCormick. Could the team survive with those two, but a younger option should be a priority.
It’s a strong interior offensive line class, but Ioane shines above the rest. Fantastic size at 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds, and has the cleanest tape from any lineman in this class. He’s my highest-ranked offensive lineman, and it’s just because of the sturdiness he possesses in his pass sets and in a gap scheme; he just moves people in the run game. He’s good at getting out in space, but just isn’t quick enough to fully operate in a zone scheme.
5. Emmanuel McNiel-Warren – Toledo, SAF
As we near the draft, it’s becoming harder to find a spot where Warren would be taken. Now, safety isn’t the biggest need for Pittsburgh, but it’s a position they can easily get younger at.
All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey had to convert to free safety last season, and the team signed Jaquan Brisker and Darnell Savage in free agency, while having DeShon Elliott on the roster as well. That’s not a bad group at all, but getting younger easily is a priority for that group.
It’s a deep safety class, so youth can be targeted later, but I wouldn’t fully rule out safety for the Steelers.
6. Monroe Freeling – Georgia, OT
Freeling has the same mindset as Miller and Iheanachor above, but I’m a little lower on him as an overall option for the Steelers. Freeling is the definition of a developmental tackle. He’s 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds – ran a 4.93 and a vertical jump of 33.5.
The athleticism is there, and it shows in his tape. He can torque his body at an elite level while working on combo blocks, and his feet never stop moving. The problem is with everything else. Though he could improve his overall play strength and hand technique, he’s still worth a shot in the first round with his athletic tools.
7. KC Concepcion – Texas A&M, WR
The second-best separator in this class would be a fantastic option for Pittsburgh. He offers skills as a return specialist as well, but Concepcion can work from the slot, giving him the versatility Pittsburgh would need.
He’s a smaller receiver, but doesn’t play like it at all. Fights through contact well, is an elite route runner, and has good speed to push vertically down the field. It can really complement Metcalf and Pittman and give McCarthy a true gadget weapon as well.
One knock on Concepcion for me isn’t his size; he did struggle to catch the ball at the college level.
8. Ty Simpson – Alabama, QB
It’s not that I don’t believe in Simpson; I just don’t see a team taking a chance on him in the first round. He has good arm talent, is very smart, and gets the ball out quickly – felt like he was late on some timing throws. He can really lawyer the ball as well over the middle; it’s just the obvious knocks on him.
He’s a small quarterback who got hurt in his one full season of starting at the college level, has only 15 starts in college, and struggles immensely to pressure. McCarthy would love to develop his own quarterback for good reason. The reality is the Steelers didn’t take a shot on Shedeur Sanders last season, and the organization learned the hard way about reaching for quarterbacks in the first round with Kenny Pickett.
It’s a possibility, but I just don’t think Simpson is the likely option at 21 for the Steelers.
If you want more draft coverage covering more NFL draft prospects and overall notes, make sure to check out the latest episode of the NFL DraftCast with Tony Pauline.
