Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Mock Draft Roundup 3.0

There will be plenty of buzz about picking a QB or WR here, but in this iteration, they look to replicate the waves of defensive linemen we've seen from Super Bowl-winning teams in recent years.

Trade! The Buccaneers trade the 15th pick to the Steelers for the 21st pick and a third-rounder.

The Steelers stockpiled a projected 12 picks with the initial plan of taking an aggressive swing at quarterback. But as the 2026 QB class collapsed, the focus has shifted to the next biggest need: wide receiver. Rather than waiting for No. 21 to see which receivers were still available, the Steelers used one of their three third-round picks to secure one of the three best players at his position. He could be even higher on some boards and has the flexibility to play all three wide receiver spots, something new head coach Mike McCarthy said he values during his introductory news conference. Tyson's injury history may give some teams pause, but that hasn't deterred the Steelers, who have taken their chances recently on others with more significant medical red flags like Payton Wilson and Darnell Washington. Even after the trade, the Steelers still have 10 draft picks, including a second, two thirds and two fourths. Expect GM Omar Khan, who earned his "Khan Artist" nickname for his aggressive maneuvering in his first draft, to continue working the phones.

For the first half of the 2025 season, Simpson was the best QB in college football. Then things quickly eroded over the second half of the season. The talent is still there, and I can't help but feel like the hiring of Mike McCarthy was done with QB development in mind. Maybe Simpson isn't drafted to start right away, but the Steelers need a QB, and Simpson is good value here.

Boston makes too much sense here. The Steelers would have two power forwards on the outside with the rookie playing opposite DK Metcalf.

One of the most pressing questions of this draft is how high Simpson will go. He was entrenched in the top-10 conversation midseason before a significant second-half slide. The pros for Simpson? He can throw with pristine accuracy, improvises in the pocket and has enough arm strength to drive the ball downfield. The cons? His decision-making waned down the stretch, as he had four interceptions and a combined 62.6% completion percentage in Alabama's final six games.

Regardless, I think the Steelers could take a chance on him here. They might bring back quarterback Aaron Rodgers if he doesn't retire, but that is far from a certainty. And while new head coach Mike McCarthy has praised Will Howard, he was a sixth-round pick last year. It feels unlikely Pittsburgh would completely anchor its future around him.

The Steelers might not traditionally take wide receivers in the first round, but after their 2025 passing attack faltered time and again outside of deep forays to DK Metcalf and a bevy of tight end targets, I think it'll be OK for them to break tradition and add some juice to their pass-catching group. Lemon's play style (he was primarily a slot player at USC) pairs nicely with Metcalf as well as Mike McCarthy's quick-hitting scheme (regardless if Aaron Rodgers returns or not), and gives this offense an underneath weapon who can actually create something.

We wondered if the Steelers would pick a quarterback early on last year. They didn't do that, opting to sign Aaron Rodgers instead. Well, the Steelers are in need of a quarterback, and I really like Simpson. I know Simpson doesn't have tremendous size, but he can make all the throws. He can make anticipatory and leverage throws. He's accurate on the outside. I know Indiana was able to get to Simpson in the Rose Bowl, but he was the reason why Alabama defeated Georgia in Athens this past season.