With the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror, all 32 teams are officially in their 2026 offseason. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been out of the contest since an early exit in the Wild Card round, and since then, this team has a whole new coaching staff, spearheaded by Mike McCarthy. Soon, the focus will be on improving the roster through the 2026 NFL Draft.
In the latest three-round mock draft from FanSided, Cody Williams has the Steelers cashing in their 21st overall pick for Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell.
With a need at cornerback, it's not hard to see general manager Omar Khan going in this direction on draft day. Terrell might be the sweet spot where the talent aligns with the need. After making the selection in this mock, Williams weighed in with his thoughts.
"Yes, it's fun to talk about what the Steelers can do at quarterback and wide receiver, but they need to get the defense right as well. Specifically, this secondary needs a world of help.
Avieon Terrell is the type of corner that they've been missing, with the fluid, rangy ability in coverage, but also a willingness to be physical and attack the run. He and Joey Porter Jr. are nice complementary pieces that will benefit Pittsburgh in the long run."
The Pittsburgh Steelers value family bloodlines in the latest NFL mock draft—even after Mike Tomlin's gone
If there's one thing we've known about the Steelers over the years, it's how much Mike Tomlin and the organization have valued family ties. At one point, Pittsburgh had three sets of brothers on its team during the same calendar year—T.J. and Derek Watt, Trey and Tremaine Edmunds, and Cam and Connor Heyward.
While we always assumed Tomlin was the culprit, this is a trend that could live on.
Though Khan has only been the general manager of the Steelers for three-and-a-half years, he's worked closely with Tomlin and former GM Kevin Colbert for roughly two decades. After a while, groupthink can occur, and Khan might value the same things.
It's not hard to see why the Steelers might be interested in Terrell in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Avieon Terrell is the younger brother of AJ Terrell, the starting cornerback of the Atlanta Falcons and 16th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Avieon is not only slated to be a first-round pick, but he followed directly in his brother's footsteps at Clemson.
Draft Scout has Avieon's listed size at just 5'11 1/4'' and 180 pounds, so he's a bit on the smaller side. However, Terrell is a smooth mover and a strong run defender, despite his slighter frame.
Meanwhile, the Steelers could have a pressing need at cornerback. Joey Porter Jr. is expected to get a contract extension that will keep him in Pittsburgh beyond the 2026 season. However, with James Pierre and Asante Samuel Jr. set to hit free agency, cornerback could prove to be one of the thinnest positions on the Steelers' roster this offseason.
If Terrell ends up being the pick, there are sure to be Steelers fans disappointed that the team didn't go in another direction (like wide receiver).
Still, it's not hard to see why Williams pegged the Clemson cornerback to the Pittsburgh Steelers in his latest mock draft. His football pedigree and strong family bloodlines make too much sense to ignore.