Steelers 2026 NFL mock draft: Pittsburgh adds QB, defenders in 3-round projection originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2026 NFL draft is rapidly approaching later this month and the Pittsburgh Steelers are in position to add a ton of youth to their aging roster.
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The Steelers are loaded with a whopping 12 picks in this year’s draft, which takes place in Pittsburgh. So, fans will have plenty to talk about as the Steelers pile up youngsters who will be the future of the franchise.
With just weeks to go before the three-day event, we’re taking at swing at a three-round mock draft for the Steelers that sees them add a quarterback.
Here’s what we came up with.
Steelers 2026 NFL mock draft
Round 1, Pick 21: QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
It looks like the Steelers will be depending on Aaron Rodgers for another season and the team does not have a surefire long-term solution at the position.
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Hype has been building for Simpson during the pre-draft process and he’s clearly the second-best quarterback in this draft.
MORE:NFL mock draft: Full 7-round edition
Pittsburgh addresses its need for some hope for the future with Simpson, who ends up battling it out with Will Howard for the starting job in 2027.
Round 2, Pick 53: OG Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
The Steelers let Isaac Seumalo leave in free agency to the Arizona Cardinals and right now it looks like Spencer Anderson will be his replacement.
Across from him, the Steelers have Mason McCormick, who the jury is still out on.
At 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, Pregnon is big and long and has the tools to be a starter for a long time in the NFL.
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Pregnon would compete for a starting guard job right away, and he could very well win one.
Round 3, Pick 76: DT Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State
The Steelers addressed their defensive line in last year’s draft with Derrick Harmon, but with Cameron Heyward nearing the end of his career and the jury still being out on Yahya Black, Pittsburgh should look to do so again.
Jackson is a large human being at 6-foot-5 and 337 pounds and profiles as a nose tackle at the next level.
He could provide some much-needed depth for the Steelers in Year 1, and if all goes well, he’ll be a full-time starter by 2027.
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Round 3, Pick 85: LB Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh
After trade rumors swirled around him this offseason, and with his struggles over the first two years of his Steelers contract, which is in its final year, the future is looking bleak for Patrick Queen in Pittsburgh.
Adding a versatile defender like the 6-foot, 225-pound Louis makes sense.
Not only could he become a starting linebacker at the next level, he has the physical tools to play a hybrid role in Patrick Graham’s defense.
Round 3, Pick 99: S Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina
With Jalen Ramsey set to turn 32, and with Jaquan Brisker on a one-year deal, the Steelers need to start planning ahead at multiple secondary spots.
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Kilgore, who has a high football IQ, can check multiple boxes for Pittsburgh thanks to his versatility.
The South Carolina product has experience playing boundary and slot cornerback, and has seen time in both the box and at free safety.