The Pittsburgh Steelers have made sure to address nearly every positional need throughout the 2026 offseason. The new league year kicked off on Wednesday, March 11th, and General Manager Omar Khan brought in a wide receiver, cornerback, defensive lineman and multiple safeties. There is still work to be done to truly round out the roster, but it's hard to argue against the fact that the team is in a much better position than it was after a gut-wrenching postseason loss to the Houston Texans. There is still money to play with, as well as 12 overall selections in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan signs autographs for and meets with fans during the team's 2025 training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
It will be very difficult for the Steelers to use all 12 picks, and then end up retaining all of them come the 53-man roster decision in late August or early September. This is why the overall expectation is for Khan to use one, or multiple, in some capacity to trade up during one of the first few rounds. If there is a player that the front office really likes, fans won't be surprised to see this kind of approach taken.
However, the other luxury of having so many selections in any given draft is flexibility and the opportunities to potentially do something that an organization may not normally desire to do. A subtle, but significant move for Pittsburgh's special teams unit was bringing back Cameron Johnston on a one-year deal, and then allowing Corliss Waitman to walk away in the free agency, as the punter put pen to paper with the San Francisco 49ers.
Punting has been a wild inconsistency for the Steelers for many years. Whether it was the mistake of drafting Pressley Harvin III, keeping Waitman over Johnston originally — despite the veteran's recent injury history — or allowing Braden Mann to leave the building and turn into one of the best at his position in the NFL, Pittsburgh hasn't gotten it right. Field position is critical in the NFL, and often times, Mike Tomlin-led groups would struggle because of punting problems.
With Johnston coming off of back-to-back season-ending injuries, it would be foolish to believe that the franchise doesn't have plans to bring in some kind of competition for him. Well, with 12 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft and a dire need for a long-term solution on special teams to pair up with Chris Boswell, the Steelers are going to have some options.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin and current kicker Chris Boswell (9) standing on the field during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
There are projected to be some solid NFL-ready punters and a few stick out for the Steelers. The later rounds will absolutely present the opportunity to take one, as the team is not going to allow Johnston to come in and have the job without proving himself. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. listed Brett Thorson (Georgia), Ryan Eckley (Michigan State) and Jack Stonehouse (Syracuse) as some of his very best at the position.
Out of the three, Eckley certainly stands out. He played in the Big 10, which immediately becomes a bonus due to his experience punting in potentially-bad weather. On top of that, Eckley led the conference in punting average in both of the 2024 and 2025 seasons. He was at 47.9 yards per boot in 2024, and 48.5 in 2025, respectively. Consistency is something that the Steelers will be looking for here, and not waiting for the undrafted free agency pool is certainly on the table.
The Steelers did recently take a punter in the seventh round back in 2021, but Harvin didn't pan out as the team had hoped. It doesn't mean that the decision-makers will be scared off of trying to do it again, especially with the abundance of draft capital.
AP Photo / Al Goldis
Former Michigan State University punter Ryan Eckley prepares to send a kick into the air as his team participates in a collegiate football contest at home.
Steelers Can Get Creative During 2026 NFL Draft
Playing the compensatory pick game back in 2025 free agency will allow Khan and co. to get very creative throughout the event in 2026. One area that will need another body for training camp is the punting spot. Instead of forcefully using all of the selections on offense or defense, special teams is the third component of the game. Pittsburgh has had issues at the position for years, and will have the ability to finally get over the hump if someone like Eckley comes in and wins the job.
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