The Pittsburgh Steelers have no shortage of roster needs entering the 2026 offseason, but some are bigger (and more important) than others. While new head coach Mike McCarthy will eventually look to find a franchise quarterback for his new team, the talent at QB doesn't align with where the Steelers are picking in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
But there are a few players who suddenly make far too much sense to ignore.
On Tuesday, FanSided Senior Contributor and NFL expert Marcus Mosher released his early 2026 draft consensus rankings. Using the draft boards of the most respected experts—like Dane Brugler, Jordan Reid, Nate Tice, Todd McShay, among many—Mosher averaged the rankings to come up with the top 30 consensus players by NFL experts.
The results were revealing.
While the Steelers would love to have one of the top three receivers in the draft, the consensus rankings show that players like Makai Lemon and Jordyn Tyson are likely to be out of reach. However, three players could land in Pittsburgh's range with the No. 21 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft who make perfect sense.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could be eyeing these three prospects, based on early NFL Draft consensus board rankings
Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
If the Steelers miss out on the top three receivers in the NFL Draft this year (Tyson, Lemon, and Carnell Tate), Denzel Boston feels like a respectable consolation prize. On Mosher's consensus board, Boston is the 21st overall player.
And it just so happens that Pittsburgh holds the 21st overall pick. Imagine that!
Outside of a long-term quarterback, we could argue that wide receiver is the single greatest need on the team. Even after trading for DK Metcalf last offseason (who hasn't lived up to his billing so far), Roman Wilson is the only other receiver on the roster from the Steelers' 2025 53-man roster still under contract.
The Steelers need a true No. 1 WR for McCarthy's offense to operate effectively, and if they can't trade up for Lemon or Tyson, Boston feels like an extremely realistic selection if the team stands pat at pick 21.
READ MORE: Mike McCarthy hire makes Steelers’ No. 21 overall draft pick a no-brainer
Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
The latest three-round mock draft from FanSided's expert Cody Williams had Avieon Terrell landing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Round 1, and it's not hard to see why. Though most fans would prefer the team to focus on finding wide receiver talent, cornerback is still a sneaky-important need.
While Joey Porter Jr. looks like a stable piece in the secondary after a strong third season, veterans James Pierre and Asante Samuel Jr. are unrestricted free agents and are free to sign with other teams unless they work out a deal to stay in Pittsburgh soon. Youth, speed, and upside are greatly lacking at cornerback.
Enter Avieon Terrell, who comes in as the 20th overall player on Mosher's early NFL Draft consensus board. This is right around the range that the Steelers will be selecting. Terrell doesn't have elite size or athletic traits, but he has strong family bloodlines (his brother AJ was a first-round pick of the Falcons), and he would fill a massive need in the secondary.
KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
As the 27th overall player on the updated consensus board, KC Concepcion might feel like a slight reach for the Steelers (picking at 21), but the Texas A&M product is a talented wide receiver who deserves first-round consideration.
Concepcion might actually be a better fit with DK Metcalf's skillset, as the shifty receiver can create tons of separation at the top of his routes and has wheels to chew up yards after the catch.
We know the Steelers have often valued positional need over consensus value in the draft in the past, so this would hardly be a surprising selection.