The 2025 season ended with an 11-6 record and an AFC North title, yet a Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans exposed the need for change. Tomlin retired after 19 seasons, and the Steelers moved to bring in McCarthy to oversee a rebuilding phase as they shift toward 2026.
Draft priorities are clear: identify the quarterback of the future, inject speed into the wide receiver corps, reinforce the offensive tackle pipeline, and add a versatile, ball-hawking defensive back to stabilize a secondary challenged by explosive postseason offenses.
In the seven-round PFF mock, Pittsburgh starts with Francis Mauigoa at 21, an edge-setting OL with toughness and motor suited to gap-based schemes. Day Two brings Trinidad Chambliss at 53 as a developmental quarterback bridge, followed by Blake Miller at 76, an OL with technique and smart footwork. The third-round addition of Michael Trigg gives the offense a dynamic receiving threat with mismatch potential, though his blocking remains a work in progress.
The later rounds add versatile depth: Brian Parker II at 99 provides flexible OL depth; Michael Taaffe at 121 adds a developing safety with quick feet; Jalon Kilgore at 135 offers a multi-role defensive back option. Zavion Thomas at 159 and a trio of defensive backs and receivers—Elijah Pritchett (213), Raion Strader (214), Dillon Bell (224), and Reggie Virgil (237)—round out a blueprint that emphasizes situational versatility and positional depth.
Overall, the mock draft champions patience over panic, prioritizing trenches, measured investments at quarterback and receiver, and a smarter, deeper secondary. Pittsburgh intends to rebuild around a sustainable plan that positions the franchise for its next competitive window while resisting shortcuts in a moment of significant change.
