The 2026 NFL Draft is in the history books.
Record crowds came to Pittsburgh. We saw a veritable parade of Steelers Hall of Famers strut the stage, from Jerome Bettis, to Mel Blount, to Lynn Swann & John Stallworth to Hines Ward. Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger embraced.
Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy selected 10 players to form the Steelers 2026 Draft Class. Khan traded up twice, traded down once, made one rather infamous phone call, and closed the draft with a hometown hero story that Barry Levinson couldn’t have scripted better. (Hum, could Levinson, a Baltimore native, have had a hand in scripting the Lemon trade….?)
Germie Bernard, Daylen Everette, Drew Allar and Gennings Dunker. Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham, Steelers.com
Before we can unpack what it all means, let’s take a look at the newest members of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Steelers 2026 Draft Class at a Glance:
Round 1: Max Iheanachor, Offensive Tackle, Arizona State
Round 2: Germie Bernard, Wide Receiver, Alabama
Round 3: Drew Allar, Quarterback, Penn State
Round 3: Daylen Everette, Cornerback, Georgia
Round 3: Gennings Dunker, Guard, Iowa
Round 4: Kaden Wetjen, Return Specialist/WR, Iowa
Round 5: Riley Nowakowski, Fullback, Indiana
Round 6: Gabriel Rubio, Defensive End, Notre Dame
Round 7: Robert Spears-Jennings, Safety, Oklahoma
Round 7: Eli Heidenreich, Running Back-Wide Receiver, Navy
So what grade do Khan and McCarthy get for this draft?
Ask me in 5 years.
Seriously. Chuck Noll waited 5 years to judge draft classes, and if that was good enough for him, it is good enough for me. With that said the Steelers 2026 draft class has already given us a few early lessons.
The obvious one is that Khan and McCarthy leaned in heavily on offense. Given the JVness of the Steelers offenses in 2023, 2024 and 2025 that’s logical. But there are other, deeper lessons to be found.
Putting the Malik Lemon Draft-Day Miss in Historical Perspective
As everyone knows, Omar Khan was on the phone with Malik Lemon while Dallas was on the clock, only to have the Eagles trade up and draft Lemon, leaving the Steelers to scramble and draft Max Iheanachor instead.
The social media general managers in Steelers Nation pounced, torching Omar Khan for mishandling the situation.
Let’s put this phone call and the draft day “miss” with Malik Lemon into perspective…
…Once upon a time the NFL had an 800 pound gorilla that dominated the draft. This gorilla used the draft to transform a team that won 4 games in two seasons into a team that won 3 Super Bowls in 4 years with only 3-year ramp. The gorilla’s name was Jimmy Johnson
During the 1992 NFL Draft, Johnson sent an assistant coach, contract in hand, to Leon Searcy’s home. The idea was to draft Searcy, sign him and get him on a plane before the ink dried.
Alas Jimmy Johnson ran into a little problem.
Tom Donahoe and Bill Cowher drafted Leon Searcy before he could. This was long before the digital age, yet the story dominated draft coverage on Big 3, CNN and especially ESPN….
…Except it didn’t.
The world had to wait for Jim Wexell’s On the Clock to tell that story.
Leon Searcy was an excellent tackle and, in the Heinz Field era, likely would have been a life-long Steeler. But after missing out on Searcy, Jimmy Johnson traded down and drafted Kevin Smith.
Levon Kirkland and Greg Lloyd tackle Emmitt Smith in Super Bowl XXX. Photo Credit: Steelers.com
Kevin Smith played 103 games for the Dallas Cowboys, started 93 of them, made 19 interceptions, forced 7 fumbles and made UPI’s 2nd team All-Conference squad in 1996. He retired with 3 Super Bowl rings, including one for the Cowboys win over the Steelers in Super Bowl XXX.
The moral of the story is this: Judge not by who you missed, but who you picked after pivoting.
Why Versatility Defines the Steelers 2026 Draft Class
“Versatile.” “We won’t know exactly how he fits until we see him work with the group as a whole.” In some form or fashion, we heard those words from the Steelers coaching staff throughout the 2026 NFL Draft.
- Yet, many Steelers commentators acted as if that’s a bad thing.
This started with the Eagles swooping in to draft Malik Lemon, forcing the Steelers to go back to their board and draft Max Iheanachor instead. Judging by his non-verbal behavior, Mike McCarthy was: 1. Glad to get Ihenachor and 2: Had little idea of how he’d fit into the Steelers line up.
- Let’s embrace the elephant in the room.
Watching a beaming head coach or general manager explain exactly how a first round pick fits into their system breeds confidence.
But let’s acknowledge the flip side: The NFL Draft is a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get.
The point is that one of the worst things an NFL coaching staff can do is try to force players into a system that’s not suited for them. Bill Parcells drafted James Farrior as an outside linebacker where he was OK. Kevin Colbert brought him to Pittsburgh, Bill Cowher moved him inside, and he’s one of the best Steelers free agent signings ever.
By and large, forcing guys into systems they were unsuited for wasn’t a major issue during the Tomlin era.
But those who remember Joe Walton and Kevin Gilbride stints as offensive coordinator know just how caustic coaches trying to force square pegs into round holes can be.
Based on the post-draft press conferences, this won’t be an issue under Mike McCarthy.
The Draft = NFL’s Land of Hope and Dreams
It is fitting that the Steelers book-ended 2026 NFL Draft with Ben Roethlisberger and Terry Bradshaw hugging and drafting Mt. Lebanon native Eli Heidenreich because the draft is all about reconciling hopes with dreams.
Ben Roethlisberger and Terry Bradshaw hug at the 2026 NFL Draft. Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham, Steelers.com
It will be a while before we know how strong the Steelers 2026 Draft Class is. If 5 of the 10 newest Steelers “make it” as pro football players then that will make this draft an outstanding success.
Some guys won’t make the cut. Injuries will fell others. At least one will be a numbers game causality. That’s just the harsh reality of the NFL.
- But let’s worry about that another day.
The NFL draft is a veritable “Land of Hopes and Dreams” (yes, that’s an intentional shout out to Springsteen.) Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy gave 10 men legitimate hope of realizing their NFL dream. Let’s let them enjoy that for a time, and as they continue to strive to be the best they can be.
And best of all? They’ll do it in Black and Gold.
WR Germie Bernard (Rd 2), picked after trading up, is seen as a versatile, pro-ready weapon, and is possibly the Steelers best pick in the 2026 NFL draft. They also invested in their OL, and strengthening their trenches. Time will tell if some of their more longshot picks will deliver.
Agreed. Thanks for posting Berdj