The Pittsburgh Steelers have the 21st overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the franchise also has a ton of additional draft capital in other rounds. The picks can be used to move up in the first round of the event, and they will have to be used at some point. There is no way that the franchise will be selecting 12 players in the event, so some of those selections are going to have to be used in a strategic manner. The Steelers have a few needs to consider with their first-round pick, mainly wide receiver, left guard, or some help in the secondary.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan and Owner Art Rooney II on the field at a team practices while having a discussion.
The only real hole on Pittsburgh's roster aside from quarterback is at left guard after Isaac Seumalo signed with the Arizona Cardinals. Spencer Anderson is an option to start there, but if there is a player available through the 2026 NFL Draft, the Steelers are going to have to consider it. The top interior offensive lineman in the draft is arguably Olaivavega Ioane out of Penn State, but there is a chance he could be off of the board by the time the 21st pick comes around.
Beat writer Brian Batko was asked during a recent chat for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the potential of the Steelers drafting a left guard in the first round, and his answer should concern fans.
"It’s not under our radar," Batko wrote. "A couple of other guard names in addition to Ioane to look out for are Miami’s Francisco Mauigoa and Utah’s Spencer Fano, though both would be moving from right tackle. Some are also suggesting that Alabama left tackle Kadyn Proctor would be best-suited on the inside, despite his enormous stature at 6 feet 7, 352 pounds."
Batko makes it seem like there is a real chance that the Steelers will draft someone to play guard in the first round, but he named just one player that played the position in college along with three offensive tackles. Francisco Mauigoa played right tackle at Miami and Spencer Fano played right tackle at Utah, while Kadyn Proctor played left tackle at Alabama.
Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images
Steelers' Kadyn Proctor runs out of the tunnel for a College Football Playoff game.
The Steelers have a history of drafting offensive linemen and then playing them out of position, and it doesn't seem like the best strategy. In 2023, the organization drafted Broderick Jones in the first round, and he played left tackle at Georgia. He was inserted into the starting lineup at right tackle and played there for about a season and a half before moving to left tackle in 2025, and that could have hindered his development.
In the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the franchise selected Troy Fautanu who played left tackle at Washington. He was drafted with the organization intending to play him at right tackle. He has played well there, but it is another instance of the team using the same strategy. Mason McCormick also plays a different position in the NFL then he did at the college level where he was a left guard.
Jumping from tackle to guard is hard to do, and Batko seems to believe that Fano, Mauigoa, or Proctor could be drafted with the intention of moving them to the interior. There is a chance that Fano and Mauigoa will already be off of the board when Pittsburgh picks, which makes Proctor the most likely option in a scenario like this.
Kirby Lee / Imagn Images
Steelers' Omar Khan speaks to the media during the NFL Scouting Combine in 2025.
Steelers Would Be Taking A Risk By Moving Another Top Draft Pick
Franchises are built through the draft, and a bad run of selections can seriously hurt the future of an organization. It is risky to use a top pick on a player that is going to be switching positions, and that is a risk Pittsburgh might not be able to afford at this juncture. Proctor would be the most interesting prospect as he played left tackle in college, and the Steelers currently have some questions at that position as well.
What do you think about Batko's comments? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
#SteelerNation