2026 full mock draft and free agency.

The draft and off season free agency 2026. Here are my ideas.


The Pittsburgh Steelers have 12 picks and 45.6 million is cap space as of 2-9-2026! And that is before we cut / restructure some players. J Smith you are out. Steelers save 7 million in cap space. Other players such as Queen take a large pay cut or be cut. Ramsey, take a pay cut or be cut. Embrace your role as a starting safety or 4th CB on the field. I think Ramsey will play ball with our negotiations.

With new coaching and all these picks and a boatload of money to spend in free agency, I am excited!


First we must plan on free agency.

I am for spending above the market value for WR on players such as :


WR Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers
Snaps: 2,056 | PFF grade: 79.3

49ers general manager John Lynch said the team would “love” to re-sign Jennings, who served as the team's top wide receiver for the second straight season in 2025. The 28-year-old's 83.1 PFF overall grade in 2024 made him a top-15 wide receiver. This year, his 18 contested catches in the regular season were a top-four figure among wide receivers.

Contract projection: Three years, $50,000,001 | $29,500,000 guaranteed
26. WR Rashid Shaheed, Seattle Seahawks
Snaps: 1,655 | PFF grade: 70.6
Shaheed's free-agency stock was already looking solid while he was with the Saints before the trade deadline, but his run of excellence in the postseason for the Seahawks may have raised his price tag. The speedster is a kick-return threat (87.4 PFF return grade, third best) and hasn't dropped any of his 90-plus targets this season.


Unless both players are franchised taged we can get them.


A 3rd target


44. WR Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers
Snaps: 2,464 | PFF grade: 77.0
Doubs profiles as a solid No. 3 receiver for most NFL offenses, having earned PFF receiving grades above 70.0 and averaged more than 1.60 yards per route run in each of the past three seasons. He has consistently won at the catch point, hauling in 45 receptions on 91 contested targets since entering the league. Over that same span, Doubs has graded in the 80th percentile against single coverage and the 68th percentile in yards per route run, reinforcing his value as a complementary pass-catcher.

Contract projection: Three years, $45,000,000 | $24,000,000 guaranteed





Okay my plan is to get one if these guys. This can be done. Now resign Kenneth Gianwell ( pay the man ) and some low priority Steeler free agents ) and on to the draft.





Round one. Oh man, I like QB Simpson who got subpar running support by Alabama standards and had to endure a lot of dropped passes. If he interviews well and tests well on the S2 and Wonderlic, ( 7 out of 10 meaning good, very good, excellent or elite ) , I take him because he is a very good QB and projects as a NFL starting QB. Sorry to fence sit, but such information is not available yet. Until then I fix the base run defense first and we roll with Howard who played like a 1st round QB during his last four college playoff games.



Round one.

Choosing NT / DT Kayden McDonald. He can really upgrade our run defense. He is a legit " 0 type " NT or 3 type of DT and can add value as a run defender who is a virtual immovable object who makes his share of plays vs. the run and is okay vs the pass. We play a base defense if 4-2-5 the majority of the snaps and he will be the key along with Harmon. Allowing Benton to be a good sub for obvious passing downs and Heyward to be in the mix if he comes back for a final season. A player like McDonald will allow Payton Wilson to shine at ILB and keep players off our 2 level of defenders..The Steelers have not had a good DT / NT since Casey Hampton.



https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Kayden-McDonald-DL-OhioState



Round two

Guard Gennings Dunker

This guy is a big man with excellent playing strength. Strong hands. He has proven to be as durable as an inch of shoe leather and plays with a mean streak. A kick @ss run blocker who can root out DT's and create holes to run through. He has tackle experience in college he should be able to pass blockers on par with or better than the majority of NFL guards. He will rate as a good NFL player defending Bull rushes. If you need a yard or two on 3rd down, run behind him!

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Gennings-Dunker-OL-Iowa



Round three A

WR Malchi Fields. A big receiver who has good hands and long arms. He has an amazing catch radius. A player who eans his bones not on speed but on using his size, smarts, route running and good hands. HWe lack such a player at WR. While I don't veiw him as starting material as a rookie, he can be a good package possession receiver.



https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Malachi-Fields-WR-Virginia





Round three B. CB Everette



This guy has size, very good speed, length and is productive, Want more? He is productive with 8 passes defended and can play special teams well. He is not a short coverage person that turns well, and quick guys give him issues, but he is very good at deep coverage, outside the hash mark coverage and defender on posts , slants and go routes. He has star potential and is an underdeveloped football player that needs good coaching.

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Daylen-Everette-DB-Georgia

Round three C CB / S Masses.



This guy had 13 passes defended and 5 interceptions last season. Now that is great production! He is a tall corner, not fast but not slow either. A perfect 3rrd NFL cornerback. He can play a deep saftey too on passing downs. Not a good run defender.



https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Hezekiah-Masses-DB-FloridaInternational





Round 4A. ILB Josiah Trotter.

He is a two down NFL run defender who can shed blocks well. He has good run defense, smarts and instincts. For example he had 13 tackles for losses last year. While he is not a 3 down linebacker and should be taken off the field based on situational football downs where a pass is likely we have room and needs for such a player.

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Josiah-Trotter-LB-WestVirginia




Round 4B QB Drew Allar. He did not have a good season and ended up getting hurt. I think Penn State's coach was a bozo and none of his receivers were any good in 2025. Okay --I know he regressed in his stats, but then man has a great arm and great size. Like I said he had a bozo for a head coach. This is round four and you won't find any QB's with his upside. So I'm taking him in this mock draft since I passed for now on Simpson pending his interview and S2 test. Allar is a long term plan c at quarterback.

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Drew-Allar-QB-PennState



Round 5 P Brett Thorson



Thorson has impressive power on his kicks, and is very consistent. He gets good hang time and is very good with directional kicks, which contributed to him only allowing returns on 4 of his 42 punts this year (for a total of 15 years). Wow. Thorson also does a good job of avoiding touchbacks, effectively pinning opponents deep thanks to his accuracy. Paging or new special teams coach. This cat is special.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/4799994/brett-thorson





Round 6A FB Max Bredeoson.

The best run blocking FB is the draft! He is decent at pass blocking and catches the ball well enough. He is a situational football player and a good chess piece on 3rd and short.

https://bnbfootball.com/2026-nfl-draft/fullback-rankings/


Round 6B



WR / KR Kole Wilson

This little man can be a #4 or 5 WR in packages and return kicks well

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/kole-wilson-1.html



Round 7A


OT Turner Corocran

https://nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Turner-Corcoran-OL-Nebraska

A big coachable swing tackle.



Round 7B

DT Jordan Hall

https://nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Jordan-Hall-DL-Georgia

A run stopper who can project to a NT with added weight.



That's all before the combine . As new information comes in, things can change quickly. I rushed this thead in the final rounds. The 2025 season has closed now with Seattle and Sam Daronld winning the super bowl. Now I wanted thier OC as our new head coach, but McCarty is an upgrade over what we had. I like him too.

 

Jennings is far too injury prone.... plus, with the probability of San Fran moving on from Brandon Aiyuk, I can't see them not signing Jennings..... this team is built to win now and while i'm sure they will use another high pick on a wr, said player still will need time to develop..

As for Shaheed, this kid was electric from the moment Seattle aquired him...... no way they try to run it back without him

 

I like your first paragraph. I would like Doubs in free agency also. I can see Dunker in 2. I love Fields in 3a. I would like Woods in round 1 though. If we could sign Walker from GB, I would love to see those 5 players in black and gold. I'm not smart enough or studied enough to have much of an opinion past that, other than when I did see Allar play I didn't walk away impressed. Nice work.

 

I would personally trade up to acquire either Sonny Styles or Peter Woods but that is just me. Regarding the FA Selections, Rasheed Shahid and Romeo Dobbs would be great additions though how much Rasheed would command is key.

 

If Aaron Rodgers is back, I do not think he was a fan of Doubs. Doubs had drop issues early in his career, but in 2025 he was better.

 

I agree that if Drew Allar is there in the fourth he is worth a gamble. No other QB in the draft has his size and arm strength. The problem was that he regressed at Penn State every year he played but that was a lot of James Franklin's doing.

 

My take ( pun intended ) is this. I do not want AR back. The man is very old, plays it too safe, gets rid of the ball in a hurry, and protects his body too often instead of taking a hit and potentially helping the team advance the ball. He likes to call guys out by rolling his eyes and such. This is not leadership.

I still think AR is among the top 20 QB's in football in 2025, but his position of holding the spot is going down by the month. It's time to move on and invest in a new QB. And that time is now.

 

If ...

 

No to Jennings but I would sign Doubs or Shaheed. And I would use one of the third round picks on Allar.

 

If will soon become when.

 

Why?

 

" If will soon become when"

AR can retire now.

 

I am seeing reports he is not coming back to the Steelers.

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/aaron-rodgers-unlikely-return-steelers-233732835.html

 

I would give reporters who are friends with AR a look. Those who are not likely know about as much as you or I on the topic. A secretive ,non media, extremely private person he is.

I hope he is not coming back. He is way too old, and in my opinion not a leader type.

 

Commanders let go of Marshawn Lattimore. He'll be a full UFA next month. 30 years old. Commanders save $18.5M towards their cap with this cut.

 

I wouldn't want him on the Steelers anyway.

 

You apparently were not watching and listening last season

One of the biggest things Rodgers did last year was being a leader

The team could use that they haven’t had a leader on offense since Heinz Ward

 

It is combine and pro day time!

 

Update!


Ty Simpson is my new #1 choice in my mock draft as he threw very well at the combine! Now he must run a good 40 ( He runs like a 4.7 40 guy or better by my eye ) and test well on the wondrelic / S2 )

A score of 22 or higher is a pass in the 2026 NFL. No more Kenny Pickets, who scored a 17. One of the many red flags he had.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonderlic_test


By the way I too took the wonderlic and scored in the upper green level ... a 38. Now I am am sure a few posters here do that well or better. I took the test as I am a high level IT guy, specializing in Data bases, DDoS, WAN defense, and Software and the wonder lick was part of the evaluation process.

By the way this board has a good cyber security grade in my opinion. Some other Steeler sites ( No names metioned ) do not.

 

I definitely am a fan of getting a true NT. It solidifies the run D and it helps the ILB’s. Our ILB’s aren’t built to take on blocks they are speed guys. Free the, up to shoot the gaps. It would also enable us to put a Benton at 3Tech which he is much better suited for as a rotational piece behind a Heyward and Harmon.

 

Or the defense needs a legit 2 down nose tackle / DT vs the run and he needs to add a little vs. the pass in 4 man fronts. A man who is hard to root out, move, and block. A player that can keep the linebacker clean of interior Offensive lineman.

Our defense needs a three down ILB starter. The people that play and near zero's vs the pass ( Yes Mr. Queen I talking to you ) and drain a large % of our salary cap ( Aagin Mr. Queen ) can either restaurant their cap # wa down or walk.

We can 100% find these players in the draft in rounds 2 and 3,3,3!



And finally we need a starting Cornerback #2 who can play at least average relative to the rest of the other #2 Cornerbacks in the NFL. Do not use free agency here, as a food starter is cost prohibitive.


As of right now ( 3-8 -2026 ) I am 100% for adding one of the three WR's in free agency sependin am for spending above the market value on WR players such as :


WR Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers
Snaps: 2,056 | PFF grade: 79.3

49ers general manager John Lynch said the team would “love” to re-sign Jennings, who served as the team's top wide receiver for the second straight season in 2025. The 28-year-old's 83.1 PFF overall grade in 2024 made him a top-15 wide receiver. This year, his 18 contested catches in the regular season were a top-four figure among wide receivers.

Contract projection: Three years, $50,000,001 | $29,500,000 guaranteed
26. WR Rashid Shaheed, Seattle Seahawks
Snaps: 1,655 | PFF grade: 70.6
Shaheed's free-agency stock was already looking solid while he was with the Saints before the trade deadline, but his run of excellence in the postseason for the Seahawks may have raised his price tag. The speedster is a kick-return threat (87.4 PFF return grade, third best) and hasn't dropped any of his 90-plus targets this season.


Unless both players are franchised taged we can get them.


A 3rd target


44. WR Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers
Snaps: 2,464 | PFF grade: 77.0
Doubs profiles as a solid No. 3 receiver for most NFL offenses, having earned PFF receiving grades above 70.0 and averaged more than 1.60 yards per route run in each of the past three seasons. He has consistently won at the catch point, hauling in 45 receptions on 91 contested targets since entering the league. Over that same span, Doubs has graded in the 80th percentile against single coverage and the 68th percentile in yards per route run, reinforcing his value as a complementary pass-catcher.

Contract projection: Three years, $45,000,000 | $24,000,000 guaranteed



Now my mock draft update:

Round one.


QB Ty Simpson

Simpon is a talent and he proved it by throwing very well at the combine on all three levels. That arm! The velocity. The accuracy. The showing was better that 99% of the other Qb at the combine since 2000. Now he needs a little polish and like most draftable QBs will not be ready to start in September. November maybe. I want to see his wonderlic score which needs to be a 22 or higher and a good S2 score. Now there is no such thing as as a sure thing in the draft but I am 100% sure the quarterback is the most importantpart of a football franchise. If you lack a top, say 16 QB you must draft one high. And drafting a quarterback #1 when you host the draft gives Simpson and the fans a special moment.



https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Ty-Simpson-QB-Alabama


Round two


Choosing NT / DT Kayden McDonald. He can really upgrade our run defense. He is a legit " 0 type " NT or 3 type of DT and can add value as a run defender who is a virtual immovable object who makes his share of plays vs. the run and is okay vs the pass. We play a base defense if 4-2-5 the majority of the snaps and he will be the key along with Harmon. Allowing Benton to be a good sub for obvious passing downs and Heyward to be in the mix if he comes back for a final season. A player like McDonald will allow Payton Wilson to shine at ILB and keep players off our 2 level of defenders..The Steelers have not had a good DT / NT since Casey Hampton.



https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Kayden-McDonald-DL-OhioState


Round three A

WR Malchi Fields. A big receiver who has good hands and long arms. He has an amazing catch radius. A player who eans his bones not on speed but on using his size, smarts, route running and good hands. We lack such a player at WR. While I don't veiw him as starting material as a rookie, he can be a good package possession receiver.



https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Malachi-Fields-WR-Virginia







Round three B. CB Everette



This guy has size, very good speed, length and is productive, Want more? He is productive with 8 passes defended and can play special teams well. He is not a short coverage person that turns well, and quick guys give him issues, but he is very good at deep coverage, outside the hash mark coverage and defender on posts , slants and go routes. He has star potential and is an underdeveloped football player that needs good coaching.

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Daylen-Everette-DB-Georgia




Round three C CB / S Masses.



This guy had 13 passes defended and 5 interceptions last season. Now that is great production! He is a tall corner, not fast but not slow either. A perfect 3rrd NFL cornerback. He can play a deep saftey too on passing downs. Not a good run defender.



https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Hezekiah-Masses-DB-FloridaInternational





Round 4A. ILB Josiah Trotter.

He is a two down NFL run defender who can shed blocks well. He has good run defense, smarts and instincts. For example he had 13 tackles for losses last year. While he is not a 3 down linebacker and should be taken off the field based on situational football downs where a pass is likely we have room and needs for such a player.

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Josiah-Trotter-LB-WestVirginia




Round 4B Guard Roberts

A pure power player who is a people mover. A bit raw, he plays with a mean streak. If he has a good OL coach, he is a high ceiling player. He checks the boxes of size, and speed. Could be a killer on sweeps and a got to man to run behind on 3rd or 4th and one.


https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Jaeden-Roberts-OL-Alabama

Round 5 P Brett Thorson



Thorson has impressive power on his kicks, and is very consistent. He gets good hang time and is very good with directional kicks, which contributed to him only allowing returns on 4 of his 42 punts this year (for a total of 15 years). Wow. Thorson also does a good job of avoiding touchbacks, effectively pinning opponents deep thanks to his accuracy. Paging or new special teams coach. This cat is special.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/4799994/brett-thorson





Round 6A FB Max Bredeoson.

The best run blocking FB is the draft! He is decent at pass blocking and catches the ball well enough. He is a situational football player and a good chess piece on 3rd and short.

https://bnbfootball.com/2026-nfl-draft/fullback-rankings/


Round 6B



WR / KR Kole Wilson

This little man can be a #4 or 5 WR in packages and return kicks well

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/kole-wilson-1.html



Round 7A


OT Turner Corocran

https://nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Turner-Corcoran-OL-Nebraska

A big coachable swing tackle.



Round 7B

DT Jordan Hall

https://nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Jordan-Hall-DL-Georgia

A run stopper who can project to a NT with added weight.

 

We definitely need a legit NT. Benton is better served as a rotational piece at 3 tech. I think you will see improved ilb play if we get a true NT. They need to blitz our ilb’s more and take advantage of their speed. They’re completely neutralized when flat footed reading and reacting. I didn’t like the scheme for those guys under Tomlin.

I agree we need to add to the cb room but I’m ok with resigning Pierre on the outside and drafting a developmental outside cb in Rd 4-5. Where they really need to add to the cb room is the slot. Go get a Keonte Scott or Deangelo Ponds in rd 2 and watch our defense flourish in both run and pass. Look what Houston and Seattle do with their slots. It is a very important position in today’s nfl. Jalen Pierre and Devon Witherspoon and Deon Branch are examples of it.