Where the Steelers Stand After the 2026 NFL Draft

The Big Picture

The Steelers now look like a team that is trying to do two things at once: Try and win now if Aaron Rodgers comes back. Prepare for life after Rodgers if he does not. That is the entire story of this draft and the draft is over. 

They did not blow up the roster or panic-draft a quarterback in Round 1. Omar Khan did not ignore the offensive line or sit back with 12 picks and let the board happen to them. They used their capital aggressively, trading up for Germie Bernard in Round 2 and Gennings Dunker in Round 3. So where do they stand now? They are deeper, younger, more flexible — and still tied to the Rodgers decision in the short term.

The Steelers Solved the Offensive Line Question — Just Not the Way Many Expected

Before the draft, the major unresolved need was left guard after losing Isaac Seumalo. I laid out the question perfectly: do they take a guard at 21, wait until Day 2, or use the pick on best player available? The Steelers chose a hybrid answer. They did not draft Vega Ioane or a pure guard at 21. Instead, they took Max Iheanachor, an offensive tackle from Arizona State, at No. 21. 

This pick told us a few things:

1. The Steelers were not comfortable enough with the tackle situation, especially with Broderick Jones’ neck injury still uncertain and declining his $19.1 million fifth year option.
2. They valued offensive line upside over forcing the left guard pick.
3. They wanted flexibility up front, not just a one-position answer.

Iheanachor is a fascinating story. He is a Nigerian-born immigrant who only started playing organized football in 2021. At 6-foot-6 and over 320 pounds, he did not allow a single sack in his senior season across 484 pass-blocking snaps. He ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash among offensive linemen at the Combine (4.91 seconds). The physical tools are elite. The experience level is raw. That is the bet.

Then they came back in Round 3 and addressed the original Seumalo hole with Gennings Dunker from Iowa. ESPN noted that while Dunker played tackle in college, Steelers offensive line coach James Campen said the team views him as guard first, tackle second. That matters. This is the left guard plan.

So, where does the offensive line stand now? Pretty solid — with upside.

The Steelers have invested premium assets into the offensive line repeatedly in recent years, and this draft doubled down on that. Iheanachor gives them tackle insurance and potential long-term starter ability. Dunker gives them a real competition at left guard instead of just handing the job to Spencer Anderson or Brock Hoffman. The key word is competition. They did not sign a proven plug-and-play Seumalo replacement, but they added enough young talent to make the line deeper and more athletic.

Wide Receiver Went From “Solved Enough” to a Real Strength

Earlier in the offseason, we said the Pittman trade meant the Steelers did not need to spend an early pick on receiver. That was logical at the time. DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. gave them a legit top two. But the Steelers clearly disagreed with the idea that they were done there. They traded up from No. 53 to No. 47 with the Colts to take Germie Bernard from Alabama. According to CBS Pittsburgh, they sent picks 53, 135, and 237 for 47 and 249. ESPN reported that the Steelers had their sights on USC receiver Makai Lemon before Philadelphia jumped them, then pivoted to Bernard. That says receiver was more than a luxury. It was a priority.

Now the room looks much different:

• DK Metcalf: vertical threat / alpha physical presence
• Michael Pittman Jr.: chain mover / contested catch receiver
• Germie Bernard: versatile inside-outside route runner
• Kaden Wetjen: returner / manufactured-touch slot option
• Other depth pieces competing behind them

Bernard brings exactly what McCarthy’s offense values: physicality, route-running intelligence, and versatility. He forced 17 missed tackles in 2025 and tied for fifth in the SEC with seven touchdown catches. Doing this while lining up inside, outside, and or with his experience in the return game. He is also a willing blocker. That is a major upgrade from where things stood before free agency. Bernard gives them the kind of receiver Rodgers typically trusts: reliable, physical, detailed, and useful in the short-area passing game. Wetjen gives them the return juice they lost with Calvin Austin III and Kenneth Gainwell leaving. Wetjen led the FBS in punt return average (26.8 yards) and had four punt return touchdowns at Iowa.

The conclusion: Pittsburgh’s receiver room is no longer just “fixed.” It might be one of the more improved position groups on the roster.

The QB Situation Got More Interesting, Not Less

This is the biggest shift from the pre-draft outlook. I wrote that the Steelers probably would not spend a premium pick on quarterback in this weak class. Technically, they did not use a first- or second-rounder. But they did use the 76th overall pick — the George Pickens trade pick — on Drew Allar. Steelers Twitter did not take that reminder too kindly. Friends of Steelers fans made so many Carson Beck jokes, they forgot that this was a possibility. Allar has the size and arm strength McCarthy values in an AFC North quarterback. I will break that down further at a later time.

The current quarterback picture now looks like:

• Aaron Rodgers: still the likely 2026 starter if he returns
• Mason Rudolph: veteran floor/backup option
• Will Howard: 2025 sixth-round developmental QB
• Drew Allar: 2026 third-round developmental QB with better physical tools

Allar is the kind of project McCarthy has succeeded with before. At 6-foot-5 and 228 pounds with a cannon arm, he has prototypical size and arm strength. He threw for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2024 and holds Penn State records for completion percentage (63.2%) and interception percentage (1.3%). He is one of only three FBS players to throw over 1,000 career passes with fewer than 15 interceptions. But, there is always a BUT, he is also inconsistent. Against top-10 Power Four opponents in 2024, his completion rate dropped to 53.7% with three touchdowns and four interceptions. He broke his ankle in 2025, cutting his season short. He speeds up under pressure and sometimes locks onto pre-snap reads.

Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner said Allar’s arm talent “jumps off the screen” and he could be the “steal of the draft” if he can control his arm and become consistently accurate. That creates a crowded quarterback room, but it also clarifies the Steelers’ thinking: they are not putting all their future eggs in the Will Howard basket. Smart considering Will Howard didn’t even play a snap in the preseason.  Allar gives them a second young quarterback lottery ticket or a risky stock, if you will. If Rodgers comes back, Allar can sit and develop. If Rodgers retires, the Steelers can let Rudolph, Howard, and Allar compete — although that would obviously lower the team’s 2026 ceiling tremendously. 

The big takeaway: Pittsburgh still does not have its guaranteed quarterback of the future, but it now has more optionality.