Steelers May Already Have A Revealing Plan For First-Round Pick In The 2026 NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers have their eyes set on the future. Ever since hiring new head coach Mike McCarthy, the franchise has been in the business of retooling the entire team, making moves that no one thought the organization would make for a few more years down the road. With McCarthy's focus on the offensive side of the ball, the hope is that the Steelers will be taking steps forward to make the unit more competitive against top tier teams.

One of those big steps that the Steelers can take to improving the offense will be through the 2026 NFL Draft, which is set to be hosted in Pittsburgh. There are plenty of top tier talents available on the offensive side of the ball, but no one really knows what the plan for the Steelers is, in terms of who they'd pick at #21 in the first round.

Earlier on Wednesday, hosts Matt Williamson and Wes Uhler hosted an episode of SNR Drive and went into detail on some of their predictions on who they believe the Steelers will take in the first round. Out of all of the options they had talked about, they seemed to be able to come to a fairly interesting consensus, and this prediction should definitely be something that excites Steelers fans.

"It's so early, it's late January," Williamson stated. "But it's way more than a 50% chance in my opinion with the 21st pick, the Steelers select a wide receiver."

Williamson's idea for a wide receiver at #21 overall is certainly a choice that would be of the utmost importance to the Steelers. Throughout the regular season, there were times that the lack of depth behind star WR DK Metcalf showed on the field, as if Metcalf didn't get going, no one on the offense got going. The team would stall out in the passing game and repeatedly give the ball back to the opposing team, tiring out the defense and leading to some particularly embarrassing showings.

The Steelers have plenty of options on where they could go with the 21st pick. Some prospects have even openly admitted that they would want to play for the Steelers under Coach McCarthy. If they feel that there's a better option available earlier, then trading for their future superstar should absolutely be on the table as well. Getting a wide receiver to pair alongside Metcalf that has the upside to potentially become the team's true first receiver in a few years after Metcalf departs the team is going to be the best way to ensure the team not only succeeds now, but also succeeds in the future. This is absolutely on the entire Steelers front office's minds.

Even with the focused need on getting these playmakers on the offensive side of the ball, it has been said that McCarthy will ultimately be controlling the offensive tempo himself, and will not only call plays during his tenure as head coach, but will also be changing the offensive scheme quite a bit to give the offense a new look on the field. Less 12 and 13 personnel; more West Coast and three receiver sets.

Steelers Need To Be Cautious About Changing Offensive Scheme

Even with the need for the Steelers to branch out and make the offense better, changing whole schemes isn't always the best thing they can do. A new scheme could negatively impact players who are up and comers on the roster, such as tight end Darnell Washington. McCarthy has never been a coach to heavily use tight ends beyond the first option, and this could hurt the production of one of the best players the Steelers have on the unit.

What did you think about Williamson's remarks regarding drafting a wide receiver early? Let us know in the comments below.

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