The Pittsburgh Steelers came into this year's free agency period with significant questions at wide receiver, cornerback, and quarterback. The QB questions are yet to be answered, with Aaron Rodgers still seemingly undecided about a return in 2026, but they addressed the other top needs quickly once free agency began.
The trade for former Indianapolis Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. and the signing of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers CB Jamel Dean gave Pittsburgh two new starters who should be upgrades from what they had in 2025. Despite the investments, the 2026 NFL draft is where general manager Omar Khan is hoping to do the bulk of his work.
With 12 picks (including five in the top 100), the Steelers have plenty of flexibility to move around the draft board when the draft kicks off in Pittsburgh at the end of April. Based on their first wave of pro day appearances, it looks like the Pittman Jr. trade isn't keeping them from targeting a receiver with one of their early picks.
Pittsburgh Steelers early pro day visits suggest nothing has changed about their rumored draft strategy
Mock drafts have consistently connected the Steelers with an offensive player in the first round, primarily receivers or Alabama QB Ty Simpson. The Simpson discussion is for another day, but the receiver position seems to still be in play.
The Steelers have sent representatives to several pro days so far, but I want to focus on two in particular: Georgia State and USC.
Georgia State has almost no track record of sending players to the NFL, with its most notable alumni being Broncos kicker Will Lutz and former Chiefs and Dolphins receiver Albert Wilson. They have never had a player selected higher than the fifth round, with Browns WR Jamari Thrash currently holding that title.
That will almost certainly change this year, as WR Ted Hurst is expected to go somewhere on Day 2 of the 2026 draft. The Steelers showing interest in him is a bit surprising, as he fits a similar profile to DK Metcalf. Hurst is a big-bodied deep threat, standing 6'4" and 206 pounds with incredible ball skills. He could be a fun pick on Day 2 to potentially replace Metcalf down the road, but it's a different receiver that the Steelers are likely to target if he lasts long enough.
USC's Makai Lemon is one of the consensus top receiver prospects in the draft, and he just so happens to be the perfect fit in the slot next to Pittman Jr. and Metcalf. Head coach Mike McCarthy has had a lot of success running his passing game through a dynamic slot receiver in recent years, and Lemon could be exactly what he needs to complete his ideal WR room.
I am not trying to say that Lemon could be what CeeDee Lamb was for McCarthy in Dallas, but could he be something close to Lions All-Pro WR Amon-Ra St. Brown? That's still a lofty expectation, but the tape doesn't lie. The Steelers sending their Director of Player Scouting, Mark Sadkowski, to USC is a big indication that Lemon could be in play in the first round. They may need to trade up from pick 21 to do it, but they have the picks needed to make it happen.