We're still a few months out from the 2026 NFL Draft, but for the first time in nearly two decades, the Pittsburgh Steelers' approach to the draft is going to look completely different. Mike Tomlin always hit the scouting trail with former general manager Kevin Colbert and the Steelers' current GM Omar Khan. But after stepping down, those days are done.
Enter, Mike McCarthy—the new head coach of the Steelers. While Khan and the front office will take the lead in the draft process, McCarthy will certainly have his say when it comes to building the 2026 roster in a way that fits with his agenda.
McCarthy doesn't require players to meet all of the wild thresholds that some head coaches hold to. However, these five high-profile prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft won't be fits with McCarthy in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Steelers new HC Mike McCarthy will pass on these 5 NFL Draft prospects in April
Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
The Pittsburgh Steelers could very well have a pressing need at offensive tackle. Though 2024 first-round pick Troy Fautanu had a respectable season (coming off an ACL injury as a rookie), the jury is still out at left tackle.
Broderick Jones suffered a season-ending neck injury, and his status moving forward is still unclear. Even when Jones was healthy and on the field, he didn't make the strides the Steelers expected in his first three seasons, and he'll soon need a new contract. Meanwhile, Dylan Cook played respectable football in his absence, but he can't be counted on as a long-term solution.
Though a need for an offensive tackle persists, McCarthy won't consider Kadyn Proctor. The prominent Alabama OT could fall within the Steelers' first-round range at pick 21, so it seems like it only makes sense to consider him. However, Proctor is a massive tackle (listed at 6'7'' and 366 pounds) who doesn't fit the mold of what McCarthy typically looks for at the position.
In what's expected to be a high-volume passing offense in Pittsburgh with a focus on operating out of the shotgun formation, the Steelers likely won't give Proctor a second thought.
Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia
It's easy to follow the trends of what McCarthy looks for in a starting wide receiver. From Green Bay to Dallas, McCarthy has had go-to options like Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, and CeeDee Lamb.
Three of his last four No. 1 wide receivers stood at least 6'1'' and nearly 200 pounds. While Zachariah Branch is an electrifying prospect with his ability after the catch, the Georgia prospect is expected to measure in around 5'9 1/2'' and 180 pounds, according to DraftScout.com.
McCarthy needs a do-it-all receiver with size for his offense to operate effectively, and he won't risk spending one of his team's top draft choices on an undersized wide receiver like Branch.
LT Overton, EDGE, Alabama
The Steelers should have learned a valuable lesson after taking DeMarvin Leal in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Leal was a tweener in the worst way, and he never found a true role in Pittsburgh. Though this team has a new GM and head coach since then, the thought process remains the same.
McCarthy has been adamant that the Steelers will stick to a true 3-4 defense (which has been the brass roots of this team since the '90s). Because of this, a player like LT Overton isn't a fit, schematically.
Overton is expected to measure in around 6'3'' and 278 pounds. Like Leal, Overton doesn't possess the raw speed and explosion to be an outside linebacker in Pittsburgh's 3-4 defense. At the same time, he's undersized as a five-technique defensive lineman and would be limited to a sub-package role.
This won't be a fit for what McCarthy wants to do on defense.
Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss
McCarthy was fortunate to coach spectacular quarterbacks like Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and Dak Prescott. While these quarterbacks hardly resembled Ben Roethlisberger in terms of size, they each met a certain threshold—they were all at least 6'2'' and 215-plus pounds.
While McCarthy might be flexible in this approach, he won't want to stray far from what's working. The Steelers clearly need a franchise quarterback, but Trinidad Chambliss isn't the name they'll have their eyes on.
DraftScout.com has Chambliss measuring in at roughly 5'11 3/4' and 200 pounds. This doesn't come close to meeting the QB size thresholds McCarthy has worked with, historically. Chambliss is at least an intriguing prospect, but he's not a match for McCarthy's offense.
Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma
For the same reasons the Steelers could ignore Zachariah Branch in the 2026 NFL Draft, Deion Burks could be an afterthought. Though Burks impressed at Oklahoma and could prove to be a Day 2 selection, don't expect Pittsburgh to show much interest.
With Calvin Austin expected to hit free agency, the Steelers might have room for a smaller receiver on their roster, but they already have 2024 third-round pick Roman Wilson (who hardly saw the field in his second season).
Burks is a natural receiver with good speed, but with a projected size of 5'9'' and 188 pounds, it's unlikely he's what Mike McCarthy is looking for on offense.