{"id":605163,"date":"2026-04-14T00:29:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T00:29:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/605163\/"},"modified":"2026-04-14T00:29:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T00:29:12","slug":"2026-nfl-mock-draft-pittsburgh-steelers-select-edge-defender","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/605163\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 NFL Mock Draft: Pittsburgh Steelers select edge defender"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cMr. Goodell, you\u2019re saying we can\u2019t trade back? Whh\u2014what? Why is that, Sir? It\u2019s definitely not too late. Sir? What do you mean? You wouldn\u2019t let us trade up either when we wanted\u2026 Okay. I protest. I\u2026this is an official protest to tha\u2026to that\u2026ruling. Yes, yes. No, I don\u2019t see. Yes, I understand what you\u2019re saying\u2014I am a Tulane graduate, Sir. Uh huh. Well, we were looking to add more picks. I know we have 12, but we have some serious holes to fill. We need an offensive lineman, corner, wide receiver, safety, defensive end, line\u2026 Fine. But I\u2026hello? Rog\u2014Commissioner? Hello? Are you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">[End of phone call]<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cHello? Are we on? You weren\u2019t filming the conversation, were you? Okay, good. Let\u2019s edit this out and start\u2026NOW! Well, hello! Welcome to Steeler Draft Central. I\u2019m Omar Khan. In a few moments we will be making our first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. Uh, just give me a few minutes to consult with my staff and then I will take you through our draft selection process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">[3 minutes later]<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cWell, um, hello, again. I am pleased to tell you that we\u2019ve submitted our #1 draft pick, which the Commissioner will be reading momentarily. We are very excited to tell you that our pick, number 21, in the 2026 NFL Draft is Keldric Faulk, Defensive End, Auburn. Yes, we are very excited, as I mentioned, to welcome Keldric. Steeler Nation is well aware that we are known for a few solid hallmarks, the top being an imposing defense. We fell a little short of that last season.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cKeldric is a great prospect for us because he will be relentless on our defensive front. He will be a rock against the run, and we\u2019ll be able to line him up in multiple formations. Although his sack numbers were down last season, we strongly believe he will return to putting up impressive sack numbers, as he did in 2024 when primarily lined up at the end or EDGE positions. His size, strength, and versatility are what we will be looking for, and we won\u2019t be afraid to kick him inside when necessary. His long arms are an asset. Patrick\u2014our DC, Patrick Graham\u2014was\u2026this\u2026Keldric is the type of player that Patrick will make the most use of.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cI know we just drafted Derrick Harmon last year, and Derrick will definitely help this defense. He just had a little injury to battle last season. We see Keldric as more of an end\/EDGE who can move inside as needed and Derrick as a tackle who can move outside as needed. So, you, see\u2026there\u2019s no comparison. What I mean to say is, they would complement each other\u2014not be competing against each other. Cam\u2014you know, Cam Heyward\u2014our beloved Cam is not getting any younger. He can tutor Keldric on what it means to be a Steeler. TJ Watt, he\u2019s also not getting any younger. He can tutor Keldric about coming off that edge. I know they will be playing different positions, but TJ can be a mentor with Cam.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"192\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"standard-img\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/caf27ad6f51b625d2853d36c416a798b.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cI\u2019d be remiss to not talk about the man that Keldric is. It means something important to be a Steeler. We value high-character men, and we know that Keldric will be a fine Steeler Citizen. He will immerse himself into the Pittsburgh community, as he\u2019s done at Auburn. Keldric is a natural leader with a tremendous work ethic. He will fit in well here. And, gosh, he\u2019s still young. We know Keldric is already accomplished, but he also has tremendous upside.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cSince this footage won\u2019t be shown until sometime after the draft\u2014and because I trust you\u2014I\u2019ll touch briefly on some prospects we were very high on.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cEmmanuel Pregnon. We were very high on him, but he won\u2019t be around when we pick again. Emmanuel is just the type of player we crave to solidify our line. He would have helped us run Steeler brand of football with a strong running game. When I say this guy is like an impenetrable force, I\u2019m really not exaggerating. He would have come here and immediately improved our football team. However, our need on defense was greater by a hair.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cBrandon Cisse is a young man we seriously considered to add to our secondary. We got Jamel Dean this offseason, and we\u2019re high on him, but he is entering his 8th season. Don\u2019t get me wrong\u2014he can play for several more seasons\u2014but\u2026well\u2026anyway\u2026 Brandon Cisse is only 20 years old. He\u2019s got good size and fantastic speed. He\u2019s got long arms like Joey\u2014Joey Porter, Jr.\u2014and he\u2019s a little raw but has very good mirroring abilities. If we can move up in the second\u2014or if he falls\u2014we\u2019d love to introduce him to Steeler Nation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cEmmanuel McNeil-Warren is a very solid prospect and, boy, will we need help at the safety position\u2026.What I mean is\u2026well\u2026 McNeil-Warren has excellent length and a nose for the football.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cJordyn Tyson\u2026what can I say. This isn\u2019t tampering, right? He just got drafted so it\u2019s not like we can tamper. Freakin\u2019 Miami\u2026The kid has great hands and a great catch radius. He\u2019s versatile. I know Coach\u2014Coach McCarthy\u2014was wetting his\u2026um\u2026was excited? about the possibility of getting his meaty paws on Tyson. He can line up all over the field and while we have Pittman here, I mean, we could really be creative with how we use them and DK. Jordyn is mentally and physically tough. He\u2019s a willing blocker. There\u2019s a lot to like\u2026to really like. At the end of the day, we want to have a disciplined, ferocious defense. And\u2026yeah. \u201cWell, thanks for your time. I hope this gives you a little insight on how we run the ship here. Stay tuned for our other picks. We have 11 more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>2026 BGN Mock Draft Order<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">1) Raiders (Mailata_in_a_Miata): Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana<br \/>2) Jets (Dr.MidnightGreen): Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State<br \/>3) Cardinals (grantspectations): Spencer Fano, OT, Utah<br \/>4) Titans (DrBubbles): Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame<br \/>5) Giants (ablesser88): Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State<br \/>6) Browns (kjb304): Olaivavega Ioane, OG, Penn State<br \/>7) Commanders (Jerry Robinson 56): Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State<br \/>8) Saints (VetStadiumSection358): David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech<br \/>9) Chiefs (Hoosinole): Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State<br \/>10) Bengals (chuckelberryfinn): Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami<br \/>11) Dolphins (phillyfan): Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State<br \/>12) Cowboys (ejdubya): Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami<br \/>13) Rams (All_Hail_Howie): Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU<br \/>14) Ravens (215T1LL1D1e): Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia<br \/>15) Buccaneers (pascofljoe): Makai Lemon, WR, USC<br \/>16) Jets (Euegene11): Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama<br \/>17) Lions (BCHaas): Blake Miller, OT, Clemson<br \/>18) Vikings (The Player Formerly Known as Mousecop): Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon<br \/>19) Panthers (jaynase): Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon<br \/>20) Cowboys (Cravin\u2019 LeBlanc): Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee<br \/>21) Steelers (iam4theBirdz): Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn<br \/>22) Chargers (Aint1stULast)<br \/>23) Eagles (Philly21)<br \/>24) Browns (FierceDisc65)<br \/>25) Bears (jazztafari)<br \/>26) Bills (PhillyTexan)<br \/>27) 49ers (granthill7)<br \/>28) Texans (CrackTheEaglesNut)<br \/>29) Chiefs (z)<br \/>30) Dolphins (Booth12)<br \/>31) Patriots (Niels Rosenquist)<br \/>32) Seahawks (J. Wil)<\/p>\n<p>2026 BGN Community Consensus Mock Draft<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Now it\u2019s YOUR TURN to vote for who you think should be selected with this pick.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">1) Raiders: QB Fernando Mendoza<br \/>2) Jets: EDGE Arvell Reese<br \/>3) Cardinals: OT Francis Mauigoa<br \/>4) Titans: RB Jeremiyah Love<br \/>5) Giants: LB Sonny Styles<br \/>6) Browns: WR Carnell Tate<br \/>7) Commanders: EDGE David Bailey<br \/>8) Saints: EDGE Rueben Bain Jr.<br \/>9) Chiefs: S Caleb Downs<br \/>10) Bengals: CB Mansoor Delane<br \/>11) Dolphins: WR Jordyn Tyson<br \/>12) Cowboys: CB Jermod McCoy<br \/>13) Rams: WR Makai Lemon<br \/>14) Ravens: OT Monroe Freeling<br \/>15) Buccaneers: TE Kenyon Sadiq<br \/>16) Jets: OG Olaivavega Ioane<br \/>17) Lions: OT Spencer Fano<br \/>18) Vikings: S Dillon Thieneman<br \/>19) Panthers: OT Kadyn Proctor<br \/>20) Cowboys: EDGE Akheem Mesidor<br \/>21) Steelers:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn \u201cMr. Goodell, you\u2019re saying we can\u2019t trade back? Whh\u2014what? Why is that, Sir? It\u2019s&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":605164,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[559],"tags":[220477,64,719,63,5360,133465,96646,50716,17470,232543,67117,294535,107169,133444,5140,593,81803,5132,133467,85,294534,5350,973,63792,76895],"class_list":{"0":"post-605163","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-akheem-mesidor","9":"tag-au","10":"tag-auburn-tigers","11":"tag-australia","12":"tag-bengals","13":"tag-caleb-downs","14":"tag-california-golden-bears","15":"tag-cam-heyward","16":"tag-chargers","17":"tag-defensive-lineman","18":"tag-derrick-harmon","19":"tag-edge-positions","20":"tag-jamel-dean","21":"tag-keldric-faulk","22":"tag-miami","23":"tag-nfl","24":"tag-patrick-graham","25":"tag-pittsburgh","26":"tag-sonny-styles","27":"tag-sports","28":"tag-steeler-nation","29":"tag-steelers","30":"tag-tennessee","31":"tag-tj-watt","32":"tag-ty-simpson"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/605163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=605163"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/605163\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/605164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=605163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=605163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=605163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}