As the Pittsburgh Steelers try to decide whether they need a splashy trade, new head coach Mike McCarthy has his assistants in place. And as the draft season ramps up, here is the post-Super Bowl 2026 NFL Mock Draft roundup for the Steelers.
Coming off a one-and-done playoff appearance, the Steelers are back in their quarterback-needy ways as they have been since Ben Roethlisberger hung up his cleats.
But do the experts believe they will use their No. 21 pick to restart the clock at the position?
Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
Field Yates, ESPN
It makes sense, for sure. But this is the NFL, where teams fall all over themselves when a potential impact quarterback appears. Even if it’s on the fringes. So will Simpson last this long?
“(Simpson) was entrenched in the top-10 conversation midseason before a significant second-half slide,” Yates wrote. “The pros for Simpson? He can throw with pristine accuracy, improvises in the pocket, and has enough arm strength to drive the ball downfield. The cons? His decision-making waned down the stretch, as he had four interceptions and a combined 62.6% completion percentage in Alabama's final six games.
“Regardless, I think the Steelers could take a chance on him here. They might bring back quarterback Aaron Rodgers if he doesn't retire, but that is far from a certainty. And while new head coach Mike McCarthy has praised Will Howard, he was a sixth-round pick last year. It feels unlikely Pittsburgh would completely anchor its future around him.”
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Cynthia Frelund, NFL.com
It might not be a position of need, but Frelund apparently thinks the Steelers will be mesmerized by the potential.
“Love's potential impact in both the pass and run game is very high — like Bijan Robinson levels,” Frelund wrote. “For him to have a successful rookie season (and one that looks something like Bijan's impressive 2025 campaign), he'll need a strong O-line that will allow him to adjust to NFL speed and concepts. Pittsburgh had my 10th-best OL this past season.”
KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
Chad Reuter, NFL.com; Tim Crean, ClutchPoints
This is definitely a position of need for the Steelers. And it’s a pick that makes sense.
“Pittsburgh typically waits until Day 2 to find receivers, but Concepcion's playmaking ability after the catch is quite tempting,” Reuter wrote. “If Aaron Rodgers returns to reunite with head coach Mike McCarthy, the veteran QB will likely want a reliable companion receiver to DK Metcalf .”
Crean said the Steelers will try to squeeze one more year out of Rodgers, and that opens the door for a wideout.
“With Aaron Rodgers potentially coming back for one more season under Mike McCarthy now, the Steelers can draft the QB and another weapon, so he doesn’t have to rely so heavily on DK Metcalf and aged veterans,” Crean wrote. “Rodgers famously doesn’t trust young wideouts, but in the explosive KC Concepcion, the Steelers get a player who they can get the ball in multiple ways, not just from Rodgers’ throws.”
Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
Max Chadwick, Pro Football Focus
You can see the confusing mix at the receiver position. Chadwick thinks Boston is the right pick.
“New head coach Mike McCarthy needs to find his starting quarterback, and then there's the question of the team's infrastructure for that player,” Chadwick wrote. “It starts with upgrading a receiving corps that earned the third-worst PFF receiving grade in 2025. Boston, meanwhile, earned an 87.2 PFF receiving grade this past year, ranking ninth among more than 400 qualifying wide receivers.”
Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
Todd McShay, McShay Report
This would be a precipitous drop for Tyson. But that’s how McShay reads the tea leaves.
“Tyson would be an absolute steal if he’s available at 21,” McShay wrote. “Tyson—who was coached by Steelers legend Hines Ward at ASU—made huge strides with his ball-skill consistency this past year. I specifically love how he’s started aggressively attacking throws in the air. He has an impressive blend of suddenness and smoothness to his game and the versatility to play all three WR spots, which adds value.”
The overall roundup analysis
There’s a huge tilt toward wide receiver at this spot in the draft for the Steelers. The problem is no consensus. And that makes it a dangerous pick. It’s unlikely that all of those wide receivers wind up hitting the mark.
The safer pick seems like Simpson. The Steelers can find a wideout later in the draft. Quarterback? No way.
