Long before the Pittsburgh Steelers gather in the war room for the 2025 NFL Draft, the front office needs to develop a plan of attack. These plans will be altered based on which players are drafted before they are on the clock, but it's important to avoid a one-track mind.
Personally, I'm always on board with the best players available (BPA) approach. But I'd be lying if I said draft sequencing doesn't matter. We know, for example, the Steelers aren't going to take wide receivers in back-to-back rounds to open the draft, as they will want to fill as many roster gaps as possible.
Based on the talent in this draft class and the needs of the Steelers, I've taken the liberty of predicting which position would offer Pittsburgh the most bang for their buck in all seven rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. Here's where they should be leaning in each round during the draft.
The best round for the Pittsburgh Steelers to target each position in the 2025 NFL Draft
Round 1: Interior Defensive Line
There is a strong interior defensive line group at the top of the NFL Draft this year, but the talent drops off pretty quickly. The Pittsburgh Steelers won't have a shot at landing Michigan's Mason Graham (and he's not necessarily the best scheme fit anyway). But after Graham, three players deserve to be selected somewhere in the first round.
Oregon's Derrick Harmon, Ole Miss's Walter Nolen, and Michigan's Kenneth Grant would all make for a quality selection at pick 21 (a trade-back for one of these three is even better). I like South Carolina's T.J. Sanders, but he's a bit rich for the first round, and he won't be available by the time Pittsburgh is on the clock next.
If they want a difference-making interior defender in this draft, they will have to take one of these players in Round 1.
Round 2: Wide Receiver
I know, I know; the Steelers don't have a second-round pick after trading for DK Metcalf. But acquiring one isn't out of the question, and it's important to be prepared for anything.
Because Pittsburgh is short on draft capital this year, a trade-back in Round 1 is possible. If this team somehow acquires a second-round pick, wide receiver would be the way to go.
Though the Steelers would miss out on some of the top prospects this year (who could go even before their first-round pick), the front office could bolster the wide receiver room with a second-round receiver like Iowa State receivers Jayden Higgins or Jaylin Noel, or TCU's Jack Bech. Even a player like Utah State's Jalen Royals or Stanford's Elic Ayomanor could be worth a stab before the talent drops another tier down.
Round 3: Running Back
While taking a running back in Round 2 would be ideal (if the Steelers had a second-round pick), the wide receiver talent falls off much faster than the running back talent. This is an incredibly deep running back class and one of the best I've graded since I began studying the NFL Draft in 2015.
It's hard to say which running backs will still be on the board, but because of the depth of the position, there's no doubt the Steelers will have a chance to draft one of DJ Giddens, Dylan Sampson, Bhayshul Tuten, RJ Harvey, or Jaydon Blue. It's even possible that an RB like Cam Skattebo slips through the cracks. The Steelers could get a workhorse running back in Round 2, but they can still land an excellent RB in Round 3.
Round 4: Quarterback
If you were wondering where the Pittsburgh Steelers should select a quarterback, the buck stops here. I'm not a believer in this year's QB talent pool, and taking one early in the draft feels like a shot in the dark. As desperate as this team is for an answer, they should wait to pick up the pieces in Round 4—knowing full well they will need to find a franchise quarterback in the 2026 draft.
By the fourth round, you can guarantee that the top signal-callers like Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, and Jaxson Dart will be off the board. It's also likely that Jalen Milroe, Tyler Shough, and Will Howard are gone by this point. But that's okay.
The Steelers could get a sneaky-good quarterback in Dillon Gabriel or a tantalizing player like Kyle McCord. And there's always a chance a player like Howard or Ewers slips this far. The Steelers aren't likely to find a franchise QB in this class anyway, so the price is right with any of these quarterbacks in Round 4.
Round 5: Cornerback
The Steelers' need and the value of the cornerback position don't line up this year. While there are some impressive cornerback prospects early in the NFL Draft, the mid-rounds feel like a reach for Pittsburgh at the position. Barring an unforeseen slide of a top CB talent, the front office is best to wait until roughly Round 5 to address the cornerback position.
In this range, the Steelers could still be looking at a quality backup who could eventually carve out a part-time role on defense. Players like Kansas' Mello Dotson, California's Nohl Williams, LSU's Zy Alexander, North Carolina's Alijah Huzzie, Louisville's Quincy Riley, or Ohio State's Denzel Burke. At least a few of these cornerbacks should be available in Round 5.
Round 6: Offensive Tackle
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected offensive tackles in the first round of the draft in back-to-back years, so taking one early isn't necessary. However, Pittsburgh did lose Dan Moore Jr. in free agency, and finding a swing tackle is a must.
Based on the value of the draft class and because this team has plenty of other needs, they can wait until Round 6 to make this happen. Grabbing a player like LSU's Emery Jones, Cincinnati's John Williams, Wisconsin's Jack Nelson, or Rutgers' Hollin Pierce would be a worthwhile gamble here.
Round 7: Safety
The talent as safety drops off fast this year, and based on projections, it would be best for Pittsburgh to wait until late in the draft to address the position. The Steelers acquired veteran Juan Thornhill to back up Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott, while they still have special teams captain Miles Killebrew.
Pittsburgh could wait until late in the draft and choose between whichever safeties could potentially fall, like Wisconsin's Hunter Wohler, Alabama's Malachi Moore, Clemson's R.J. Mickens, Syracuse's Alijah Clark, or California's Craig Woodson.