Grade the overall draft

I give it a D.

The Steelers neglected S, ILB and NT early in the draft. The Steelers will go into 2026 with no NT, two journeymen safeties and two below average ILBs.

Like every draft, all remains to be seen. Perhaps the draft will be epic.

1) Max Iheanachor, OT
2) Germie Bernard, WR
3) Drew Allar, QB
4) Daylen Everette, CB
5) Gennings Dunker, G
6) Kayden Wetjen, WR
7) Riley Nowakowski, TE
8) Gabe Rubio, DE
9) Robert Spears-Jennings, S
10) Eli Heidenreich, RB

 

I gave it a C, not great but not the poop show everyone thinks it is.

 

That's my thought as well.

 

I gave it a D as well. There are some solid picks. It just felt like they were a couple of underwhelming picks and a couple that felt at least one if not two rounds too early.

I don't hate it. I hope those that were...early...were well scouted and they determined these guys to be key fits for missing traits.

Just ONE steal of a pick would have righted their draft. They need a good ILB, drafted none. Stuck with crappy Queen another year and hoping the others on depth chart can hold up. Biggest postion of weakness post-draft, and not close.

Steals:
NONE


Solid/good picks:
Iheanachor (had to get a quality OT)
Bernard
Dunker
Nowakowski


Mediocre or Reaches (BPA at multiple positions):
Everette
Rubio
Heidenreich
Spears-Jennings


May fill a need but crazy reach and missing out on quality players:
Wetjen

 

I don't think Heidenreich was a reach since it was the last pick.

Wetjen was a 6th or 7th rounder.

Max was a panic move.

Bernard would have been there at 53, IMO.

No reason for a TE in this draft. We have two capable TEs already. I would have rather selected a BPA in a position of more need.

 

Wow

Somebody made there very own whine ***** and moan thread

 

Should probably prepare for every bchicken little to create a thread of their own

 

True, really can't fault or even truly grade the 7th rounders. More of me being unhappy they didn't try to remedy ILB, even with a 7th round dart throw.

Nowakoski is solid for the draft position, whether we needed TE or not, so can't grade that badly.

Max wasn't a pure reach. Most prospect lists had him between 21 and 35, a slight reach yes, but not like we took an OT rated in the 70s with pick 21.

He has serious upside and is NOT the "project" I have read in more than one place. He needs to work on some fundamentals (hand placement the most), but he's been a top college OT for a couple of years...not like he just won the combine but stunk up the place on game day or something.

The first four picks were all okay with me, even if I hoped we'd grab a good LB that could cover and play three downs.

Was disappointed with most of the day 3 picks, even though they're obviously no studs left, just seemed like we didn't place any urgency on positions of weakness.

I assume the plan for 2027 draft is LB or S in round 1, BPA be darn (again), but those positions will be gaping weaknesses, barring a shrewd FA signing or trade in the next 320 days or so.

 

I hope my grade/post ages poorly. I am a Steelers fan. Hope i eat seriou crow when this is "bumped" some time in March 2028.

 

C.

 

This nothing wait until the season starts.

 

B-

 

Asking for fans to grade the overall draft equates to whining?

I get it. You agree with whatever the Steelers do. That's fine, but realize most others have independent thoughts.

 

He is there to replace Heyward. I don't mind the player. Other than Wetjen, I don't mind most of the players they took. I mind that they could have done more. I don't think it was a terrible draft. I gave it a C. I simply think the A draft was there for the taking, and they fumbled it away.

Take Thieneman in the first round. Take Pregnon in the third. Take Scott with the compensatory pick in the third. Take the best tackle available in the fourth.

Now you've got your starting free safety, an option in the slot, and a plug-and-play guard who actually played the position in college.

If you think they need to prioritize tackle more, then just change the third-round picks and draft Louis or a safety in the fourth.

Either way, it's a much better group of players and a better fit for their needs than what they ended up taking.

 

Yes, but it is just an initial feeling/opinion, not written in stone. So you have no thoughts at all on the picks or strategy/methodology used?

How can you comment on the Steelers of 2026 unless the season is over? I am not trying to sound rude, but it would be incomplete to say anything before it ends, right?

 

I don't mind most of the actual players taken, but it's why and/or when that bother me.

They could have traded down in the first and still grabbed Max. They traded up for Bernard who would have been there at 53, IMO. Kilgore sat there forever, but they went with Everette when there were better DBs out there. Wetjen was a 7th round pick. I believe he barely made the top 300 rated players. I am not against Wetjen, but I am against drafting him that early. Corleone NT would have been a better pick than Rubio. Eli is a good value pick, but why draft another slot WR? Allar in the 3rd? I don't get that one at all, but apparently they saw something in him. I see him as an average game manager.

 

Yes, fans will have their own opinions. Some fans agree/disagree with the Steelers actions/results and some fans find the Steelers to be flawless.

 

Whole lotta crying going on this year

 

And bumping your own thread to whine more

 

After missing out on WR in the first round, they did the right thing by moving up in the second round to get Bernard.

 

Agree. I'll grade this draft 3 years from now.

 

Y'all are wasting your time with whatever careers you're currently in.

Knowing with certainty who will be picked when and all potential trades during a draft would be worth an untold fortune to NFL teams.

Seriously. Resign first thing Monday. You'll be a pulling in tens of millions this time next year.

 

I think Benton and Joseph-Day will split time at NT, Brisker is coming off of a pretty good 2025 season I wouldn't call him a journeymen safety.

 

I can't find it at the moment but at least on of the major NFL draft guide websites like the Athletic or something comped Theinman to Brisker.