Football fans have a funny way of getting behind whatever their team does during the draft. After the draft concludes, we talk ourselves into the players our team drafted. But every once in a while, a team has a dream draft. What would this look like for the Pittsburgh Steelers this year?
With my predictive seven-round Pittsburgh Steelers mock draft in the books, let's have a little fun by outlining the dream mock scenario for the Steelers each time they are expected to be on the clock in the 2026 NFL Draft.
This is not a prediction of how I believe the draft will unfold; rather, this mock draft outlines the ideal draft sequence for all 12 picks, with a dream-value selection on the board each time the Steelers are on the clock. This is what the best-case scenario might look like for Pittsburgh in the 2026 NFL Draft.
This Pittsburgh Steelers dream mock draft displays the perfect sequencing at each pick
Round 1 | Pick 21: Makai Lemon, WR, USC
It's hard to see Makai Lemon lasting this long, but for one reason or another, teams could go in a different direction ahead of Pittsburgh. If Lemon falls to the Steelers organically at pick No. 21, this would be the ultimate dream pick.
Round 2 | Pick 53: Keylan Rutledge, G, Georgia Tech
If the Steelers were to miss out on Penn State guard Vega Ioane in Round 1, landing Keylan Rutledge in the second round would be an excellent consolation prize. Rutledge is big, strong, and athletic with a prototype profile for a guard. He's like the ACC version of Mason McCormick, and could serve as a long-term starter for Pittsburgh.
Round 3 | Pick 76 (via DAL): Darrell Jackson Jr., DL, Florida State
Like the team's decision-makers, Steelers fans have grown to love big, long, and strong defensive linemen, and Darrell Jackson Jr. fits the description. At nearly 6'6'' and 315 pounds with an unmatched 86-inch wingspan and 11-inch hands, Jackson can two-gap and hold up at the point of attack as well as any defensive lineman in this class, outside of maybe only Ohio State's Kayden McDonald.
Round 3 | Pick 85: Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas
This is a straight-up value pick for the Steelers. Pittsburgh needs a downhill linebacker who can defend the run. Though Anthony Hill Jr. needs to develop, he has prototype traits and profiles as a starting linebacker with quality upside, thanks to his speed and athletic traits. Hill would be a great pairing with Payton Wilson in the future.
Round 3 | Pick 99 (comp): Markel Bell, OT, Miami
If the Steelers can land a 21-year-old offensive tackle with a 6'9'', 346-pound frame and 36 3/8'' arms at pick No. 99, sign me up. Markel Bell is fairly raw, but you can't go through him. He won't be great at getting to the second level in the run game (for obvious reasons), but he could develop into an excellent pass protector thanks to his size, length, and anchoring ability.
Round 4 | Pick 121: Tacario Davis, CB, Washington
If you love Joey Porter Jr.'s physical profile, you're sure to love Tacario Davis' as well. Davis is nearly 6'4'' and 194 pounds with a nearly 81'' wingspan. He combines elite boundary cornerback size with 4.41 speed. Davis is a perfect developmental Cover 3 cornerback worth betting on at this stage of the draft.
Round 4 | Pick 135 (comp): Marlin Klein, TE, Michigan
With Jonnu Smith and Connor Heyward no longer in Pittsburgh, the Steelers could use tight end depth, and Marlin Klein would be a strong value at this point. The Michigan product didn't have great production in college, but at 6'6'' and 248 pounds with 4.61 speed and a 36'' vertical, Klein has traits to work with as a developmental tight end.
Round 5 | Pick 161: Cole Payton QB, North Dakota State
If the Steelers can wait this long to throw a dart at a boom-or-bust quarterback, this would be ideal. Cole Payton has all the physical tools you could ask for, but is a long way away from seeing the field. In the fifth round, fans would be perfectly fine with taking a shot on the North Dakota State product's upside.
Round 6 | Pick 216: Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU
If this were three or four years ago, football fans would have been convinced that it would have taken a first-round pick to land Harold Perkins Jr. If the LSU star is still here in the sixth round, Pittsburgh could take the ultimate upside swing on the undersized, versatile defender, in hopes that he could return to form pre-ACL injury.
Round 7 | Pick 224 (via NO): Lorenzo Styles Jr., SAF, Ohio State
He's not his brother Sonny, who is projected to be one of the top picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, but fans would easily get behind Lorenzo Styles Jr. in the seventh round. At 6' 1/2'' and 194pounds with blazing 4.27 speed, Styles is an athletic safety worth betting on. He began his career as a wide receiver at Notre Dame before transferring to Ohio State, and he even has some return ability.
Round 7 | Pick 230 (via IND): Kaden Wetjen, KR/PR, Iowa
At this stage of the draft, Steelers fans would be on board with anyone who can make the team. Kaden Wetjen is a wide receiver by title only. In reality, he's one of the best return specialists in the nation. He could easily help bolster Pittsburgh's kick return game, and with Calvin Austin III gone in free agency, Wetjen could claim punt return duties, where he averaged an incredible 26.8 yards per return last year at Iowa.
Round 7 | Pick 237: Micah Morris, G, Georgia
The cherry on top of this Steelers dream mock draft would be adding even more beef to the offensive line that already received a big boost in this draft. Micah Morris is a 6'5'', 334-pound guard with outstanding athletic traits. He could serve as a perfect developmental prospect on the Steelers' interior offensive line.
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