PITTSBURGH — The 10-7 record and AFC North title looked good on paper, but the 30-6 Wild Card shellacking by the Houston Texans exposed the truth: the Pittsburgh Steelers are a Ferrari with a leaky radiator. Aaron Rodgers stabilized the offense in 2025, yet the lack of physical push up front and a secondary that leaked oil when the pass rush stalled proved fatal. With Mike McCarthy now holding the whistle following Mike Tomlin’s historic 200-win exit, the 2026 NFL Draft isn’t about finding stars—it’s about finding the grit that went missing in Houston.
The Trench Warrior: Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
Pittsburgh’s identity once lived in the dirt of the trenches. Oregon guard Emmanuel Pregnon belongs in that mud. At 6-foot-5 and 318 pounds, Pregnon doesn’t just block defenders; he relocates them. He finished the 2025 college season as the highest-graded Power Four guard, according to PFF, and his film shows why. He plays with a mean streak that has been absent since the retirement of the old guard. With Isaac Seumalo’s departure leaving a void at left guard, Pregnon offers a 318-pound solution who can pull into space and erase linebackers. He is the physical heartbeat this offensive line desperately lacks.
The Swiss Army Knife: Keldric Faulk, Auburn
T.J. Watt still strikes fear into quarterbacks, but the depth behind him is thinning. Auburn’s Keldric Faulk is a 6-foot-6, 285-pound monster who offers McCarthy a terrifying level of versatility. Faulk isn’t a pure speed rusher; he’s a power-to-speed specialist who can set a hard edge or slide inside to 3-tech on passing downs. He racked up 30 total pressures last season despite being the focus of every SEC offensive coordinator. Pairing his 82-inch wingspan with Watt’s technique would give Pittsburgh the flexibility to run multiple fronts without sacrificing run defense—an area where they surrendered 4.4 yards per carry in the 2025 playoffs.
The Enforcer: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo
The Steelers’ secondary gained a boost with the Jamel Dean and Jaquan Brisker signings, but they still need a “robber” who can punish receivers in the middle of the field. Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a 6-foot-3 enforcer who plays like a throwback to the 90s. He led the MAC with nine career forced fumbles and matches that violence with elite coverage skills, posting a 91.8 coverage grade last year. He’s the type of hybrid safety who can erase tight ends one play and blow up a screen the next. In a division with Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson, you need a player who makes crossing routes feel like a business risk.
“We have the weapons with DK [Metcalf] and Michael [Pittman Jr.], and we have the leadership under center. But winning in January requires a certain level of violence at the point of attack. We’re looking for guys who bring that every single snap.”
— Omar Khan, Steelers General Manager
Playoff Implications / What’s Next
The Steelers currently hold 12 picks in the upcoming draft, the most in the NFL. This haul gives Khan the leverage to move up or stay put and collect high-value depth. Adding a day-one starter like Pregnon allows the offense to actually utilize Rico Dowdle in the run game, taking the pressure off a 42-year-old Rodgers. If the front office secures these three archetypes, Pittsburgh won’t just be a playoff participant in 2026—they’ll be the team nobody wants to see on the schedule. The focus now shifts to Pro Days, where Pregnon’s lateral agility and Faulk’s interior strength will be under the microscope.
