With roughly a week until the 2026 NFL Draft, the biggest experts in the business are dropping some of their final mock drafts. On Wednesday morning, Dane Brugler released his final seven-round mock predicting Pittsburgh's draft blueprint. Mel Kiper Jr. also released a two-round predictive mock eight days ahead of the draft... and Pittsburgh Steelers fans get what they've been asking for.
With the No. 21 overall pick in Round 1, Kiper has the Steelers running to turn their card in for Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane. Considred to be the consensus top guard prospect in the class, Vega falls into Pittsburgh's lap in this mock, and Kiper believes this is an effortless fit.
"...The Steelers can use this pick to beef up the protection in front of their to-be-determined passer. Ioane plays with pure power, wrenching defenders out of the way. But he's also pretty swift on his feet at 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds. He would be an easy swap for Isaac Seumalo, who left in free agency."
Ioane, a left guard for the Nittany Lions, would slot in as a Day 1 starter on the Steelers' offensive line, taking the place of Isaac Seumalo, who joined the Arizona Cardinals in free agency this offseason. The Steelers recently hosted Ioane for one of their final pre-draft visits.
In the second round, Kiper has the Steelers finding a slot receiver to pair with DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. on the outside, slotting Georgia speedster Zachariah Branch to Pittsburgh. Branch is undersized, but it one of the most explosive receivers in the draft and is a nightmare to bring down after the catch.
"The Steelers have speed and strength on the outside in DK Metcalf. They have a middle-of-the-field chain mover in Michael Pittman Jr. But where is the quick-game specialist? That'd be an important part of the offense if Aaron Rodgers returns; he got the ball out quicker than any other QB last season (2.59 seconds on average)," Kiper wrote.
"Enter Branch, who might be undersized at 5-foot-9 and 177 pounds but plays the game like Zay Flowers and is explosive enough to take a quick slant for a big gain."
Pittsburgh Steelers fans would be pleased if the first two rounds of the NFL Draft unfold like Mel Kiper Jr.'s mock
While many fans would love Omar Khan and the front office to address the wide receiver position in Round, a run on receivers early allowed Vega to slide all the way to pick No. 21 in this mock draft. Meanwhile, Branch might not be viewed as an elite value pick at No. 53 in the second round, but his explosive play ability would be a welcome addition to the offense.
By securing Ioane in this mock, the Pittsburgh Steelers would have one of the most promising young interior cores in the NFL. The Penn State star would join center Zach Frazier and right guard Mason McCormick on the interior offensive line and would help create a U-shaped pocket for the next Steelers quarterback to step into with comfort.
When in doubt, addressing the trenches is never a bad idea, and most Steelers are on board with that logic again in the 2026 NFL Draft. Eventually, Pittsburgh will need to find a franchise quarterback and a true No. 1 wide receiver, but we would have no problem with Mel Kiper Jr.'s projected outcome for the Steelers in this year's draft.
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