There seems to be a debate going on right now about which direction the Pittsburgh Steelers should go with their early picks in the 2026 NFL draft. Some analysts and fans are all-in on adding more firepower to head coach Mike McCarthy's offense, while others believe they should continue adding to the offensive trenches with questions at both spots on the left side of the offensive line.
No matter what side of that debate you land on, the only opinions that matter are the ones coming from inside the Steelers building, particularly McCarthy's and general manager Omar Khan's. Based on what the Steelers HC had to say about his confidence level in his offensive line, maybe it's not as big a need as people believe. At Pittsburgh's pre-draft press conference on Monday, McCarthy had this to say when asked about the possibility of not landing an OL early in the draft.
"I would say 'confident' would be the word I would use to describe our offensive line right now... But I think O-line, D-line is something we always have to add to..."
Mike McCarthy seems confident that the Pittsburgh Steelers aren't in dire need of offensive line help
The loss of Isaac Seumalo at left guard and the uncertainty with Broderick Jones' health could potentially leave the Steelers in a tough spot. They did add Brock Hoffman as a great depth piece/potential starter, and Dylan Cook performed extremely well down the stretch in Jones' stead, but neither is a sure thing.
If the receivers that Pittsburgh deems worthy of the No. 21 pick are all off the board, why wouldn't they add a guard or tackle to the group they have?
Even if McCarthy likes what they already have there, I am sure he would advocate for taking the better player in that situation. Taking three offensive linemen in the first round over four years probably feels excessive to fans, but you can't ignore a position of need just because you recently failed to solve it with a high pick.
The Jones pick seems like a clear miss, even without factoring in his injury. Hoffman is a fine player, as is former seventh-round pick Spencer Anderson. If Olaivavega Ioane or another top lineman is sitting there at 21, though, it would be hard to pass on them regardless of McCarthy's confidence in the current group.
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