Steelers Accused Of Lacking A Legitimate Plan B After 2026 NFL Draft Shake-Up

The Pittsburgh Steelers just wrapped up the 2026 NFL Draft hosted right in the Steel City. They held 12 draft picks before the draft, while the team ended up with 10 total. This was still a high number for many, who speculated that the front office would be far more aggressive with the picks, considering the sheer number accumulated. However, Pittsburgh made a couple of trade-ups, but not in the first round like some expected. However, the Steelers did take some players at key positions of need. 

Unfortunately, the rug was pulled out from under General Manager Omar Khan and the rest of the war room when the Dallas Cowboys shockingly traded with the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round. The Eagles jumped Pittsburgh and selected wide receiver Makai Lemon, a prospect that the Steelers had been interested in. Khan even called Lemon as if the team was going to draft him before he was picked by the Eagles. This blunder forced the Black and Gold to take tackle Max Iheanachor with their first-round pick. Iheanachor was seemingly not the first player on the organization's list, though he was apparently still viewed highly. He is still an intriguing prospect at a position that needed depth and a future starter.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Christopher Carter believes that the first-round mix-up could be a reason why the draft took a turn, and that there could be a lot of holes left on the roster. He spoke about this on his Locked On Steelers podcast. 

"The Steelers got messed up early on in this draft class. They had to pivot. When they pivoted, it changed their entire outlook on the draft class, and they didn't do it properly. I don't think they had a really good Plan B put together, and they managed with it as best as they could," Carter said. 

Based on the Lemon misfire, it seemed like Iheanachor was a panic pick. That doesn't mean he won't be a good player, or that it was a bad pick, but, based on the phone call, the front office had their heart set on Lemon. With that, they took on a developmental player who can help their offensive line for the future. He has intangibles that make him an intriguing addition to an improving young offensive line. 

However, Carter noted that this selection doesn't fix problems now, which could be an issue. Pittsburgh has made it clear it wants to be competitive in 2026, and some of the team's picks are clearly going to take some time.

"This was not the draft class I think that they were truly looking for in how they wanted to solidify things this year. I think this year, there are still some serious holes that need to be filled, or at least some development that has to happen from players who are already on the roster," Carter said.

Pittsburgh went with a pretty obvious pick in round two when they traded up from pick 53 to 47 for receiver Germie Bernard. However, the rest of the mid-rounds had some mind-boggling choices. The Steelers used their first third-round pick on a quarterback and their fourth-rounder on a kick returner. Many have speculated that these picks might be potential reaches at their respective spots. 

Steelers Treaded The Line Between Future And Present

The franchise made some interesting choices with its picks, but some of them will be impact players in 2026. However, including their first-round pick, there are some players who may need multiple years of development before making a splash for the Steelers. The prime example of this is when the team drafted Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. 

Allar will need some time to sit and develop, but he could have the ability to become a starting quarterback. Between players like Iheanachor and Allar, and a receiver like Bernard, the Steelers drafted a combination between future starters and ones who can be plug-and-play candidates. 

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