{"id":174726,"date":"2026-04-24T09:50:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T09:50:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/174726\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T09:50:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T09:50:08","slug":"nfl-draft-2026-best-available-players-for-pittsburgh-steelers-avieon-terrell-denzel-boston","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/174726\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL Draft 2026 best available players for Pittsburgh Steelers: Avieon Terrell, Denzel Boston"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Steelers were on the phone with Makai Lemon<\/a> when the Eagles jumped ahead of them to steal the USC receiver. As if Pittsburgh\u2019s desire to draft a receiver early wasn\u2019t already abundantly clear from their pre-draft process and current depth chart, that turn of events should underscore that the WR position is a priority for Day 2.<\/p>\n

A pair of receivers who took pre-draft visits to Pittsburgh \u2014 Washington\u2019s Denzel Boston and Alabama\u2019s Germie Bernard \u2014 are still available. Notable pre-draft visitors at other positions include Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Arizona DB Treydan Stukes and Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez. A handful of cornerbacks who were projected to go in the first round are also in play.<\/p>\n

Later in Day 2, when the Steelers have a trio of third-round picks and may begin considering a quarterback, perhaps Miami\u2019s Carson Beck. Here\u2019s a look at how the potential draft targets stack up for Day 2. (Note: Asterisk denotes pre-draft visitor.)<\/p>\n

Wide receivers<\/p>\n

McCarthy has said he\u2019s looking for versatile receivers capable of playing all three spots. For that reason, I took out a few of the smaller, slot-only players like Antonio Williams and Deion Burks.<\/p>\n

Denzel Boston*, WR, Washington: At 6-4 and 212 pounds, Boston is a big target with outstanding hands. The knock on his game is that he\u2019s not the most explosive athlete. However, he\u2019s still considered a top-tier red-zone threat and one of the better receivers in this year\u2019s draft.<\/p>\n

Germie Bernard*, Alabama: He led all combine participants with a 6.71-second three-cone drill.<\/p>\n

Chris Bell, Louisville
Malachi Fields, Notre Dame
De\u2019Zhaun Stribling, Ole Miss\u2028\u2028
Elijah Sarratt, Indiana\u2028\u2028
Ted Hurst, Georgia State: There\u2019s been a ton of buzz around Hurst as the draft approaches, with some saying he\u2019ll be a steal on Day 2.
Zachariah Branch, Georgia
Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State: He ran the fastest 40 at the combine (4.26).
Bryce Lance, North Dakota State
Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee<\/p>\n

Safeties<\/p>\n

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren*, Toledo: At 6-2 and 202 pounds, McNeil-Warren fits best as a physical down safety. However, he lacks the versatility of others in his class and would have a somewhat overlapping skill set with DeShon Elliott.<\/p>\n

Treydan Stukes*, Arizona: We\u2019ll put Stukes in the safety category, but \u201cdefensive back\u201d is a better descriptor. He has experience at outside corner, nickel and safety. That versatility fits the Steelers\u2019 vision for a defense with a lot of moving pieces.<\/p>\n

A.J. Haulcy, LSU
Zakee Wheatley, Penn State
Bud Clark, TCU
Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina\u2028\u2028
Keionte Scott, Miami: I\u2019ve heard the Steelers likely have him lower than Brugler, who ranks him as a possible second-round pick, but it\u2019s still worth including him given the need at the position.<\/p>\n

Cornerbacks<\/p>\n

The Steelers hosted five cornerbacks that span the spectrum, from Round 1 to Round 5. That gives them a lot of options.<\/p>\n

Jermod McCoy, Tennessee:\u00a0McCoy was once considered a top-10 pick, but the 6-foot, 195-pound corner sustained a torn ACL during offseason workouts in January 2025 that robbed him of his junior season. He didn\u2019t participate during the NFL Scouting Combine, so his medicals are a bit of a question mark.<\/p>\n

Avieon Terrell, Clemson:\u00a0Terrell fits the Steelers\u2019 turnover culture. The 5-11, 180-pound DB forced eight fumbles over the last two years and, in the words of Brugler, plays with a \u201cHoney Badger\u201d aura.<\/p>\n

Colton Hood, Tennessee: At 5-11 and 188 pounds, Hood isn\u2019t the longest corner, but he is one of the more physical ones in this class. His skill set translates best to press-man coverage, and he\u2019s also a willing participant in the run game. That seems to fit the Steelers\u2019 identity.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Angelo Ponds, Indiana: The Steelers met with Ponds at the combine. He packs a much bigger punch than you\u2019d expect for a 5-8, 180-pound player. Still, his physical limitations could push him down the board a bit.<\/p>\n

Brandon Cisse, South Carolina: If the Steelers are betting on long-term upside, Cisse is intriguing. He\u2019s not as pro-ready as some others in this range, but his ceiling could be higher. With Joey Porter Jr. and Jamel Dean already penciled in as starters, Cisse would have time to develop.
Malik Muhammad*, Texas\u2028\u2028
Keith Abney II, Arizona State
Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State: He has similar strengths (length, physicality) and weaknesses (penalty problems in 2024) to Joey Porter Jr. If Igbinosun can cut down on the penalties, as he did in 2025, he\u2019d form an intriguing tandem with Porter down the line.
Chandler Rivers, Duke
Daylen Everette, Georgia<\/p>\n

Offensive guards<\/p>\n

The Steelers hosted two of the top four guards and visited with several others.<\/p>\n

Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon: He met with the Steelers at the combine.
Gennings Dunker, Iowa
Jalen Farmer, Kentucky
Billy Schrauth, Notre Dame<\/p>\n

Quarterbacks<\/p>\n

Carson Beck*, Miami: McCarthy said he\u2019s hoping to add a QB \u201cat the right time\u201d (read: middle rounds), with long arms, big hands and a high floor. Beck best checks all of those boxes of the players in this range. While Brugler gave him a fourth-round grade, often you need to take a QB one round higher than you\u2019d like, which could push him into Day 2.<\/p>\n

Drew Allar, Penn State: He has some outstanding physical traits, but hasn\u2019t put it together on the field as hoped.<\/p>\n

Garrett Nussmeier, LSU: The Steelers met with Nussmeier at the Senior Bowl. His father, Doug, coached with McCarthy in Dallas.<\/p>\n

Linebackers<\/p>\n

Jacob Rodriguez*, Texas Tech: Most players on the Steelers\u2019 pre-draft visitors were in the mid-Day 3 range. Rodriguez was the outlier. Like Payton Wilson, Rodriguez won almost every possible award for a player at his position, including the Chuck Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Butkus Award.<\/p>\n

CJ Allen, Georgia
Jake Golday, Cincinnati
Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
Josiah Trotter, Missouri: The Steelers hosted a number of linebackers for pre-draft visits, showing they\u2019re considering tapping into one of the deepest position groups in this draft. Trotter is one of my favorites because of his physical, downhill style. He would fit what they need as a younger upgrade to Malik Harrison.
Kyle Louis*, Pittsburgh\u2028
Keshaun Elliott, Arizona State
Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU<\/p>\n

Defensive tackles<\/p>\n

It was interesting that the Steelers only hosted two defensive tackles for pre-draft visits, and both were Day 3 players. Some earlier options include:<\/p>\n

Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State:\u00a0 This is not a great year for early-round defensive linemen, but McDonald is one worth mentioning. A first-team All-American and Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2025, he brings a 6-3, 326-pound frame and hot motor to the NFL. His overall strength makes him a dominant run stuffer, but he doesn\u2019t have much from a pass-rush perspective. He may fit best as a pure nose tackle.<\/p>\n

Christen Miller, Georgia
Lee Hunter, Texas Tech\u2028
Domonique Orange, Iowa State\u2028
Tyler Onyedim, Texas A&M
Chris McClellan, Missouri<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Steelers were on the phone with Makai Lemon when the Eagles jumped ahead of them to steal…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":174727,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[73,75,74,1833],"class_list":{"0":"post-174726","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-pittsburgh","8":"tag-pittsburgh","9":"tag-pittsburgh-headlines","10":"tag-pittsburgh-news","11":"tag-pittsburgh-steelers"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174726"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174726\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/174727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=174726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=174726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}