The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Georgia Bulldogs cornerback Daylen Everette with their second third round pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Steelers 2026 3rd round pick Daylen Everette intercepts a pass for the Georgia Bulldogs.
In drafting a cornerback, Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy leapfrogged inside linebacker on the Steelers 2026 Draft Needs Matrix and addressed the roster’s 5th most urgent area of need. The move pivoted Pittsburgh to defense, after addressing offense with the picks of Max Iheanachor, Germie Bernard and Drew Allar in the first 3 rounds of the draft.
Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham endorsed Everette’s physical attributes, and praised, “The seriousness he has about football, the focus he has as a young man. I was really impressed by that. And you could just tell there’s some grit there about him and a willingness to get better.”
Steel City Insider’s Roy Countryman listed Everette has the top corner on his third round value board.
Watch Daylen Everette Highlights: Steelers 2026 3rd Round Draft Pick
Over the last three years Everette started 41 games for the Georgia Bulldogs, pulling down 5 interceptions and batting away 20 passes. By all accounts his tackling improved, which boosted his draft status.
Everette told Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell that he played press man coverage on “maybe 80, 85 percent of my snaps.” If the video above is indicative of his ability, he was quite effective at it.
How Daylen Everette Fits in the Steelers Secondary Depth Chart
As a 3rd round pick Daylen Everette won’t need to fight for a roster spot, but finding playing time could be a challenge, assuming Joey Porter Jr., Jamel Dean and Brandin Echols stay healthy, they should see the bulk of the work at cornerback, with Jalen Ramsey rotating in as a chess piece.
That being the case, special teams is likely Everette’s ticket to getting playing time, although Patrick Graham reminded reporters that “There’s no depth chart right now. It’s open audition for ballhawks.”
Welcome to Steelers Nation Daylen Everette.
