The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft came and went in the blink of an eye. There was plenty of movement with some teams trading up to land key talent, while other teams traded out of the first round, adding more picks later to try and take advantage of the depth of the draft.<\/p>\n
For the host Pittsburgh Steelers, it was a bit of a rough night as the Philadelphia Eagles shockingly jumped one spot ahead of them and stole USC wide receiver Makai Lemon right out of their grasp<\/a>. That caused the Steelers to pivot and draft Arizona State\u2019s Max Iheanachor in a surprising move.<\/p>\n Though they addressed offensive tackle, adding a raw player with a high ceiling, the Steelers still have more questions than answers at key positions of need, including receiver. ESPN\u2019s Matt Miller and The Athletic\u2019s Nick Baumgardner tried to answer those questions in their second- and third-round mock drafts posted Friday morning.<\/p>\n The Steelers have four picks on Day 2 at No. 53 overall in the second round and picks No. 76, 85 and 99 overall in the third round.<\/p>\n Miller has the Steelers taking the following:<\/p>\n Second Round, 53rd overall: Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU Not a bad haul for the Steelers in the second and third rounds, though it feels like Nussmeier is a round too early. Still, the need is there at quarterback for the Steelers, and he makes a lot of sense for Mike McCarthy\u2019s offense, though he\u2019s not among the two names Miller\u2019s colleague Mel Kiper Jr. threw out there.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Steelers are betting that Aaron Rodgers returns in 2026, but what\u2019s the long-term plan?\u201d Miller writes.<\/a> \u201cNussmeier\u2019s 2024 tape, when he threw for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns, looked like a first-round-caliber player. If he can get back to that, the Steelers have a franchise quarterback.\u201d<\/p>\n Nussmeier dealt with injuries during the 2025 season and most recently had a procedure done<\/a> to clean up one reason he was having abdominal pain, hindering his ability to throw the football properly. With a clean bill of health, he could get back to that 2024 level at which he played.<\/p>\n If he can, and does so on a second-round value, that would be massive for a team like the Steelers.<\/p>\n Landing Gennings Dunker two rounds after adding Iheanachor would solidify the Steelers\u2019 offensive line, especially if Dunker can kick inside to guard. Jalon Kilgore would give Pittsburgh another big, physical, versatile safety, while Zachariah Branch would give Pittsburgh a legitimate game-breaking pass catcher, one who can do damage with the football in his hands.<\/p>\n
\nThird Round, 76th overall: Gennings Dunker, OL, Iowa
\nThird Round, 85th overall: Jalon Kilgore, S, South Carolina
\nThird Round, 99th overall: Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia<\/p>\n