The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't hide their interest in addressing the wide receiver position during their week at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. General manager Omar Khan and the team conducted formal meetings with more wide receivers than any other positional group, and addressing WR in the first round feels likely at this stage in the process.
But one receiver who should no longer be on the team's draft radar is Malachi Fields.
Fields was considered by many to be a Day 2 WR prospect, thanks largely to his impressive frame and body control down the field. The Notre Dame product flashed at times during Senior Bowl week. Still, he needed a good showing in Indy to help talent evaluators look past his adequate film and underwhelming production.
We received anything but that from the polarizing receiver at the NFL Combine. Now the Steelers must drop Fields on their 2026 draft board.
Malachi Fields should plummet on the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2026 draft board after a poor NFL Combine showing
Fields looks the part, there's no question about that. At 6'4 1/2'' and 218 pounds with 32'' arms, Fields' highlight reel is as flashy as it comes. At times, the big receiver can contort his body to make eye-popping acrobatic catches down the field. However, his NFL Combine showing reminded talent evaluators of the risks.
Fields was given poor advice on how to run the 40-yard dash. He was notably slower than all but one receiver in an exceptionally fast group of wideouts this year, as he turned in a disappointing 4.61 40-time. This is good for just the 16th percentile speed among all receivers who have run the 40-yard dash at the Combine since 1999, per Mockdraftable.com.
For a receiver who was primarily used as a downfield option on 'go' routes in college, this is not what NFL teams wanted to see.
Fields also dropped a few passes on the gauntlet drill, adding further concerns about his concentration. Meanwhile, his route-running paled in comparison to that of other receivers when watching him perform back-to-back with the receivers in attendance.
I already viewed Fields as a questionable scheme fit for Mike McCarthy's offense. McCarthy, the new Steelers head coach and offensive play-caller, wants players who can run a full route tree and manipulate coverage from multiple positions on the field. This does not fit the description of the Notre Dame product.
Some NFL teams may still be willing to take a chance on Malachi Fields earlier in the 2026 NFL Draft than they should because of his size profile and acrobatic catch ability, but it shouldn't be the Pittsburgh Steelers. Omar Khan must drop Fields on the team's draft board after the disappointing showing we witnessed at the NFL Combine.