The Pittsburgh Steelers filled major roster holes during the first week of free agency, but questions remain at multiple positions. Despite trading for Michael Pittman Jr., the Steelers have a desperate need for youth and upside at the position, while a true No. 1 option is still missing.
Early signs seem to indicate that wide receiver could still be the goal in the first round for Mike McCarthy's new-look Steelers offense in 2026. But there's a potential problem brewing.
Because of a handful of wide receiver-needy teams in the top half of Round 1, there could be a run of wideouts off the board before the Steelers can even sniff one of the top WR prospects this year.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could see NFL Draft plans terminated with a big WR run early
No team can ever have too much wide receiver talent on its roster. Though the top receivers in the class aren't exactly considered the best overall players in the 2026 NFL Draft, we know that it is a premium position, and history tells us that there could be a run early.
When you think about the teams picking before the Steelers and their needs, this becomes an even greater concern.
Beginning with the Cleveland Browns at pick six, this is where Steelers fans hoping for a receiver should start getting nervous. The Browns have a collection of needs, and taking one of the premier offensive linemen in the class might be more likely with the sixth overall pick.
But we can hardly breathe a sigh of relief if Cleveland passes on a wideout.
The Washington Commanders at pick No. 7 could opt for a player like Carnell Tate, considering wide receiver is one of the worst positional groups on their roster. Washington is in desperate need of a youth and talent infusion at the position to aid quarterback Jayden Daniels, who's coming off an injury-plagued season.
Then, at pick No. 8, the New Orleans Saints could follow similar logic. With a second-year quarterback in Tyler Schough and zero respectable options at receiver outside of Chris Olave—who has a bigger concussion history than quarterback Tua Tagovailoa—the Saints could run to the podium for a player like Jordyn Tyson or Malaki Lemon to help jump-start second-year head coach Kellen Moore's offense.
It gets worse. The Kansas City Chiefs are likely to target a player in the secondary with the No. 9 pick in the 2026 draft, considering all the players they lost in free agency. But their offense was terrible last year, and finding Patrick Mahomes a top weapon can't be ruled out.
Between the Browns, Commanders, Saints, and Chiefs, as many as three wide receivers could be off the board in the top nine picks of the draft.
In the next stretch of picks before the Steelers are on the clock at pick No. 21, the LA Rams have been rumored to be in the market for a first-round wide receiver at pick 13 (Makai Lemon has been linked to Los Angeles), while the Ravens could target a receiver to pair with Zay Flowers and give QB Lamar Jackson more firepower in the passing game under new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
Then, at pick No. 16, you can pretty much mark it down that the New York Jets want to take a receiver, and this feels like their most likely avenue with this selection. On top of this, we can't rule out the Carolina Panthers taking a receiver to pair with Tetairoa McMillan with the 19th overall selection.
If the draft unfolds like this, we could be looking at the top four receivers—Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon, Jordy Tyson, and Omar Cooper Jr.—all off the board before the Steelers are on the clock with the No. 21 pick in the first round. This could potentially derail Omar Khan's draft plans and force Pittsburgh to go in a different direction or overdraft the fifth- or sixth-best wideout in the class.
Wide receivers are critical to a football team's success, and the NFL knows their value. The Pittsburgh Steelers could face this nightmare scenario in the 2026 NFL Draft that could force the team to scrap its plans.