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2025 Pittsburgh Steelers Mock Offseason

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2025 Pittsburgh Steelers Mock Offseason


Before the real thing kicks off Monday, there is my Pittsburgh Steelers mock offseason. A sandbox of my own creation to put on my general manager hat and fix this stagnant, stuck. franchise. Sometimes it feels like an endless adventure. Sometimes it feels like a litter box.

For those who have followed along, this is our eleventh edition. This one is going to look slightly different. Without boring you of the details, Fanspeak, the website I’ve used every single season for this exercise, canned its offseason simulator. I’m assuming because I proved too good at being a general manager that they couldn’t let me win any longer (ok, they cited issues in making realistic contracts that shuttered the service).

But we’re light on our feet over here and thanks to those who recommended an alternative. Instead, I used Pro Football Network’s offseason and draft sim. A *very* similar interface but it’s missing two key features. One, I’m unable to combine the free agent and draft portions into one full offseason. We’ll have to stich them together and pretend. Two, and this is more critical, the free agent portion is just one big event. In the old system, free agency lasted ten days. You submit offers, advance the day, and see if you were accepted, rejected, or left at the altar as your No. 1 target signed with a rival.

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That’s no longer the case. Immediate feedback if a free agent will sign with you or not. A bummer but we won’t let it rain on our parade.

With all that out of the way, if you’re new here: welcome! And please be kind. This mock offseason will see me manage the Steelers’ roster. From cutting players to re-signing to free agency to the draft – with many, many trades as you’ll soon see – I’m pushing Omar Khan out of his chair and taking the lead role. It’s a one-time thing. No do-overs. No refunds. If I screw up, and based on past results there’s a high likelihood – there’s no going back. You’ll see it all. And if you think you can do better, I’ll leave a link at the end for you to try your hand.

Let’s get started.

Roster Deletions

The first step of the offseason. As is understanding our cap space. We enter with just shy of $50 million free with money set aside for our impending rookie class. Our cuts are straight-forward: EDGE Preston Smith (whom the sim hasn’t gotten rid of yet), DL Larry Ogunjobi, ILB Cole Holcomb, and RB/KR Cordarrelle Patterson. There’s no pay cuts in this world, Cole. It’s all-in or all-out and you, my friend, are all-out.

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With that in mind, we now have just shy of $80 million available to use. A chance to have a special offseason. Or completely blow it.

Notable cuts around the league include: EDGE Von Miller and QB Mitch Trubisky in Buffalo, EDGE Joey Bosa and Bud Dupree in Los Angeles, and WR Tyler Lockett in Seattle. A name who wasn’t chopped? The Los Angeles Rams and WR Cooper Kupp hashed things out, agreeing to stay on a reworked deal. One wide receiver option already off the board.

Re-Signing Our Own

Before we consider anyone on the outside, we have a host of important pending free agents. None bigger than solving the riddle that is our quarterback situation. An empty room…with apologies to Skylar Thompson. It’s our first order of business. Neither Justin Fields nor Russell Wilson feel like true long-term solutions but push come to shove, Fields is the one to roll with. More upside, less stench of a five-game losing streak.

Wanting to have a quarterback on the roster for 2026 and avoid the anxiety this offseason has brought, it has to be a multi-year deal. My offer to Justin Fields? Two years, $27 million, $13.5 million guaranteed.

His response?

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We have our quarterback. Let’s go figure out the rest.

After a deep dive into the pool, we’ll dip our toe in to re-sign veteran OT Calvin Anderson. Hardly exciting but depth to support young tackles Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu. Someone to carry through camp, at least. One year, $1.25 million with a $125k signing bonus gets sent over to his agent.

Two-for-two. Put me in the Hall of Fame. Or at least first base for the Pirates.

We work on defense and ILB Elandon Roberts next. With Holcomb gone, there’s a clear path for for Roberts to continue serving as the Steelers’ No. 3 inside linebacker. It’s a modest but reasonable two-year, $8 million deal with $2 million guaranteed. He accepts.

I’m a little scared how easy this feels. It’s that “quiet…too quiet” sensation sending chills down my spine. Players want to re-sign without hours of back-and-forth? What is this great sorcery?

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Jaylen Warren is our heat check. Not tabbed as a RFA in this universe, he’s slated to hit free agency. Could he be the first Steelers running back to receive a long-term deal since Willie Parker? We’re going to try. The offer: three years for $18 million, just over $6 million of it guaranteed.

We ask for an answer and….

Turned down. So we sweeten the pot. Same three years for a slight uptick in dollars. $19.5 million and $7.8 million guaranteed.

Warren effectively utilized his leverage but we have a starting running back. Najee Harris will not return.

Just to make you a little mad, one more re-signing. Wide receiver Van Jefferson. As a No. 2, he was laughably misplaced. But there’s value as a veteran and blocker to dig out safeties in the running game. I make a one-year, $1.3 million offer with a $130k signing bonus. More receivers are on the way but Jefferson stays. For now.

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Notable players around the league to re-sign? Buffalo Bills WR Amari Cooper (three years, $41.7 million), Houston Texans WR Stefon Diggs (three years, $39.9 million), New York Jets WR Davante Adams (a stunner at four years, $86 million), Cincinnati Bengals CB Mike Hilton (two years, $19.62 million), New York Jets CB D.J. Reed (two years, $28.2 million), and Kansas City Chiefs OG Trey Smith (two years, $43.2 million).

The wide receiver table is already being set.

Before we head into the open market, here’s what our roster currently looks like following the re-signing period.

QB: Justin Fields, Skylar Thompson
RB: Jaylen Warren, Jonathan Ward, Aaron Shampklin, Evan Hull
FB: None
TE: Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, Donald Parham Jr.
WR: George Pickens, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Van Jefferson, Brandon Johnson, Lance McCutcheon
OT: Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu, Dylan Cook, Calvin Anderson
OG: Isaac Seuamlo, Mason McCormick, Spencer Anderson, Steven Jones, Doug Nester
C: Zach Frazier, Ryan McCollum

DE: Cam Heyward, DeMarvin Leal, Dean Lowry, Logan Lee, Jacob Slade
NT: Keeanu Benton, Montravius Adams, Domenique Davis
EDGE: T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jeremiah Moon, Eku Leota, Julius Welschof, Thomas Rush
ILB: Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Elandon Roberts, Mark Robinson, Devin Harper
CB: Joey Porter Jr., Cory Trice Jr., Beanie Bishop Jr, D’Shawn Jamison, Cameron McCutcheon, Kyler McMichael
S: Minkah Fitzpatrick, DeShon Elliott, Miles Killebrew, Joshua Bledsoe, Ryan Watts

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K: Chris Boswell
P: Cameron Johnston, Corliss Waitman
LS: Christian Kuntz

2025 Free Agency

Let’s check in on our cap situation. Over $52 million free, though we’ll save a little for the in-season rainy day fund. To combat the issue of not having days to submit offers, I’ll put a governor on myself and allow only two contract offers before I must move on. Which is good for my sanity…and probably yours.

Diving into the league-wide pool, what quarterbacks are out there? Fields needs a backup. Hey look, it’s old friend John Rhys Plumlee!

It’s just fun to see his name again. We’ll always have training camp 2024. He won’t be our quarterback. But there is a former Steeler I’m interested in. Mason Rudolph.

Is he a totally different style than starter Justin Fields? Yes. Did Art Rooney II say he wanted starter and backup to share the same traits? Yes. But I’m the captain, Art. I’ll build the roster. You just sign the checks.

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Rudolph is a trusted No. 2. He’s shown that at every stop and stage of his career. I care about someone who can come in and manage the game more than I do what type of quarterback he is. So I make an offer. Two-years, $7 million, a $2.1 million signing bonus. Come on home, Mason.

Quarterback’s figured out. Time to go get some receivers to throw to. And I’m going for gold.

Or maybe silver. Tee Higgins feels too out-of-reach but Tampa Bay’s Chris Godwin is a worthy consolation prize. A fractured ankle makes his outlook murkier but it also drives down his price tag. Still, by Pittsburgh’s standards, this offer feels like funny money: three years, $72 million with one-quarter of it guaranteed. I submit the offer, hold my breath, and await a response.

He accepts! The deal is done, shattering LB Patrick Queen’s mark of the biggest outside free agent deal in Pittsburgh Steelers history by nearly double. By George, we might have a passing offense again.

But there’s little time to celebrate. In a reminder free agents come in all shapes, sizes, and price tags, we go from star wide receiver to fullback. Missing from Arthur Smith’s offense a year ago, the list of available names is short. Maybe we go after Adam Prentice…once I figure out who that is.

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Spending the last four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, he’s logged a fair bit of time on offense and a healthy amount on special teams. A true blocker with only a handful of touches each year, he’s a squatty body and fine fit to help out this team’s short-yardage woes. It’s a modest offer of two-years for $3 million total, $600k of it guaranteed. Which, in hindsight, actually feels pretty generous.

He accepts and we have another win on the board.

Flipping over to the defense. Las Vegas Raiders CB Nate Hobbs is the apple of my eye. The No. 1 target I want to come away with, fixing Pittsburgh’s long-standing problems in the slot. Wasting no further time to ink him to a deal, he’s gotta be a Steeler. His agent is faxed over a three-year contract worth a total of $15 million, $3.75 million of which is guaranteed.

We’re getting players signed but burning through cash. Down to just $18.6 million of cap space, we might not have room to make a run at a top-flight outside cornerback. Perhaps our first mistake of an offseason speed run going surprisingly well. I consider veteran corner Rasul Douglas but pivot without making an offer. Instead, attention turns to boosting the team’s non-existent safety depth.

New inside linebacker coach Scott McCurley has connections with Dallas Cowboys S Marqkuese Bell. An undrafted free agent, Bell shifted from safety to inside linebacker when injuries ravaged Dallas’ depth chart in 2023. He’s a quality special teamer coming off a 2024 shoulder injury, keeping his price down – not that it was ever going to be that high.

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Two-years for $5 million, $1 million of that guaranteed. Bell accepts and another hole is plugged.

Now we look at corner. But we’re not getting top shelf. We’re getting lukewarm beer in the can. Super Bowl champ Darius Slay has one good year left in him…I think. His offer is two year, $9 million and he accepts just lik-

Rejection has been rare this cycle but Slay puts up a wall. Instead of trying again, I move to Baltimore Ravens corner Brandon Stephens. Not anyone idea’s of a rock-solid No. 2 corner but our penny-pinching is showing. Old habits die hard. We offer the same deal to Stephens and he greets us with the same response. Not happening.

With pride hurting, we stop trying to fix cornerback for now. Instead, we dumpster-dive along the offensive line with Cleveland Browns OL Michael Dunn. He can play guard, a little center, and has experience as a sixth offensive lineman. One-year, $1.25 million with $125k guaranteed.

Dunn accepts and we’re back on the board.

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A veteran tackle is also important. Options on the market are thin and often overpriced. But Larry Borom is just 26 with nearly 30 career starts in Chicago. They really weren’t good starts but it’s something behind the starters. A two-year deal worth $6 million is cheap in free agency and he accepts, taking home a $1.5 million signing bonus.

Our cap space has shrunk to just $11.8 million left over. There’s a couple more moves worth making. While not a household name, the Los Angeles Rams have an unheralded plugging nose tackle in Bobby Brown III. If you need to stop the run, Bobby Brown can stop the run. If you need to rush the passer, Bobby Brown…well, he’s gonna stop the run.

A half-sack in 30 career starts limits his upside but caps his price tag. Two-years, $8.2 million including $2.46 million guaranteed. Brown accepts and we have a new nose tackle, intending to kick Keeanu Benton out to LDE in the the Steelers base 3-4. In sub-packages, he’ll still play the majority of the snaps.

Putting cornerback off like doing the dishes, we finally circle back to the position. Cory Trice Jr. is talented but hard to trust to stay healthy and we need a vet. Limited funds means limited talent and we sift through a few names before offering a contract to the Seattle Seahawks’ Tre Brown. With three 2024 starts, there’s some experience but it’s on the cheap. He quickly accepts a two-year deal worth a total of $6.2 million, including a $1.24 million signing bonus.

Free agency wraps up. If you’re wondering, QB Russell Wilson lands with the Minnesota Vikings on a two-year, $70.8 million deal. To briefly break the fourth wall, this sim occurred literal minutes after the real-life news of Geno Smith being traded from Seattle to Las Vegas, leading many to believe Sam Darnold would leave Minnesota for Seattle. A sign? Perhaps.

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Around the AFC North, the Baltimore Ravens make just a couple of mid-level additions. A couple of corners and lineman Nate Herbig. Sorry, Nick. Your brother is playing for the enemy.

The Cincinnati Bengals signed anyone and everyone including pillaging half our free agent pool. RB Najee Harris and WR Mike Williams sign there as the team thumbs their nose at their own free agents, losing WR Tee Higgins but signing CB Byron Murphy and WR Keenan Allen to big contracts instead.

The Cleveland Browns sign…no one. Not a single person. The franchise has given up. It’s the right call.

We end free agency with $4.6 million left in cap space after making nine external signings.

To recap them all, including re-signings by order of most to least expensive:

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WR Chris Godwin: 3 years, $72 million
QB Justin Fields: 2 years, $27 million
RB Jaylen Warren: 3 years, $18 million
CB Nate Hobbs: 3 years, $15 million
NT Bobby Brown III: 2 years, $8.2 million
ILB Elandon Roberts: 2 years, $8 million
QB Mason Rudolph: 2 years, $7 million
CB Tre Brown: 2 years, $6.2 million
OT Larry Borom: 2 years, $6 million
S Markquese Bell: 2 years, $5 million
FB Adam Prentice: 2 years, $3 million
WR Van Jefferson: 1 year, $1.3 million
OT Calvin Anderson: 1 year, $1.25 million
OL Michael Dunn: 1 year, $1.25 million

Some would wonder if cornerback has been overlooked. Perhaps mismanaged. I would say…stop asking so many questions. Let’s get to the draft.

2025 NFL Draft

To set things up, here’s a reminder of the picks we enter the draft with.

Our biggest needs are obvious: more defensive line help, definitely cornerback additions, running back is a must, and we’ll keep a watchful eye out on quarterbacks.

The Tennessee Titans get the clock started at No. 1. Here’s the top five…and Jacksonville is shaking things up by taking Michigan CB Will Johnson to round things out.

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Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders slips out. Do we consider trading up? It’s what teams in Pittsburgh’s world, the ones who never bottom out, have to do. We consider it.

Aaaand he’s gone, snatched up sixth overall by the Las Vegas Raiders. It would’ve cost the farm, anyway. As is Michigan DL Mason Graham, the only other prospect even worth considering trading up for, taken seventh by the New York Jets. We’ll sit and wait our turn at No. 21.

There’s a mad dash of moves ahead of us. Trades upon trades upon trades. Including the Detroit Lions, making the leap from No. 28 to No. 19 and stealing Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon away. My heart aches. A top candidate is off the board and we’re on the clock.

Here’s the top of the draft board. Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan has tumbled all the way down to the board and from a value perspective, he’s hard to ignore even though we signed Chris Godwin and have two excellent starting wideouts.

We have two trade offers. One from Buffalo and one from New England. Considering both, we counter with Buffalo. We’ll send the Bills No. 21 and No. 122 for No. 30, No. 62, and No. 179.

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Buffalo accepts. And then they trade down. With New England! What is happening in the AFC East? The Patriots wanted to go up, we passed them over, Buffalo moves up and then immediately falls back down. In the end, New England gets a receiver but it’s Texas’ Matthew Golden, not McMillan, who goes off the board one pick later to a very happy Los Angeles Chargers squad.

Sitting at 30 and back on the clock, here’s a refreshed look at the top of the board.

We get more offers. This one from Kansas City is enticing.

Move down one spot, add a solid draft pick. But who do the Chiefs want? Could they steal away our guy? Tempting as it is, we tell GM Brett Veach ‘no thanks.’ Looking at the board, cornerback sticks out. Failing to address an top-tier outside option in free agency, we come down to two names: Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison and Florida State’s Azareye’h Thomas. Both are physically gifted. Morrison has medical concerns, Thomas is a little raw.

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We’ll roll the dice on health and select Morrison, whose tape at his best is as good as any cornerback in the class. An injury-prone pair of Morrison and Cory Trice Jr. What could go wrong?

(we don’t say that in the press release)

The Kansas City Chiefs take TE Colston Loveland and one pick later, the first round concludes. We’re happy with the trade. And our selection.

Here’s the top five picks of Round Two. The Browns land a quarterback in Alabama’s Jalen Milroe while a little later on, the New York Jets snag Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart at No. 42.

Watching the picks fly by, North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton is a surprise name still on the board. Card after card gets turned in without his name but that will only last so long. Time to make our move. The Atlanta Falcons are on the clock at No. 46 with the Arizona Cardinals at No. 47. The Falcons won’t take a running back but the Cardinals? They might. It makes Atlanta the right team to move up for.

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We get on the phones and submit our offer: send our No. 52 and No. 83 for their No. 46 and No. 117. The Falcons already have No. 82 so this gives them back-to-back third round selections. Pretty sweet deal.

They agree and accept. We’re on the board. Trading up to take a running back, Pro Football Focus is losing their mind. Welcome to Pittsburgh, Omarion Hampton. Michigan NT Kenneth Grant was available – and attractive – but we needed a running back and Hampton hits all the right notes, more confident in his athleticism after a stellar Combine workout.

With another second rounder at our disposal at No. 62, we take a look at the top prospects remaining.

It’s not a list I’m loving. Ole Miss WR Tre Harris is the most intriguing but we explore more trade offers, getting calls from the Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints, the Saints wanting to come up and are dangling a 2026 third-rounder. Here’s their initial proposal.

Haggling with the Saints proves difficult. Our counter of No. 62 for No. 71 and a 2026 third-rounder is rejected. As is No. 62 and No. 238 (the sim mistakenly gives us three seventh rounders when we have just two) and No. 71 and a future third. Again, no dice.

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Finally, we reach an agreement. We’ll send No. 62, No. 179, and No. 239 for No. 71, No. 186, and a 2026 third-round pick, draft capital we can use next year if there’s a chance to trade up for a quarterback in what will hopefully be a stronger class. This is chess, not checkers, we’re playing. Big-brained stuff.

On the clock at No. 71, we’re focused on a receiver. The question is – who?

It comes down to Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor and Miami (FL)’s Xavier Restrepo, two different styles at receiver. Ayomanor has the height/weight speed but a lack of elite separation and troubling history of knee injuries gives the edge to Restrepo. A thickly built slot-receiver who plays angry, he’ll slide between Godwin and Pickens. With Pickens unpredictable and entering the final year of his rookie deal, as is Calvin Austin III, this helps a little now and a lot in the future.

Round Two is complete.

With a long wait from No. 71 to our next pick at No. 117, I have a plan. We need to make another move up the draft board. Working the phones doesn’t come easy. Philadelphia at No. 96? Rejected. Carolina at No. 98? Denied. The Los Angeles Rams at No. 100? Three strikes, I’m out.

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Calling every team overnight as the draft pauses from Friday until Saturday, nothing works. Tennessee sits at No. 102, and I send them an offer No. 117 and No. 186? Another bitter rejection and I’m spinning my wheels.

New plan. Throw out the old plan. Increase the offer, proposing No. 117 and No. 163 for the Titans’ No. 102. Still, I’m turned down. This isn’t working.

New plan. Revert to the old plan. More picks go by before New England hears from us: No. 117 and No. 186 for No. 105. Not happening. Finally, finally we make a deal that works even though it’s well over my budget. Send New England our 117th and 186th overall picks plus a 2026 fifth-rounder just to acquire their pick at No. 105.

Our target? Toledo defensive lineman Darius Alexander. Yes, it’s surprising for him to fall this far. But it might not be that far-fetched. He didn’t play against elite competition, had average production, turns 25 mid-season, and could get picked over in one of the deepest defensive line classes this century.

Either way, we’ll take the win. Alexander is a steal here, even if it cost plenty to do so. A major boost the Steelers’ new-look defensive line.

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What made the trade more remarkable was the pick was used in the other two deals we made with Atlanta and New Orleans. Total coincidence I didn’t realize until after all the dust settled.

Exhausted with all the wheeling and dealing, we’ll be patient for the long wait from No. 105 to our next choice at No. 163. There’s only three picks left and we’ll need to use them well. Here’s what we’ve drafted so far.

When the announcement comes over the draft room that we’re back on the clock, we zoom out and examine the top of the board.

Louisville QB Tyler Shough has fallen all the way to the fifth round. Easy as it would be to snatch him up, if you don’t mind me breaking the fourth wall for a moment, it’s starting to feel like cheating. We’ll pass to preserve the integrity of this pretend offseason.

We scan the board elsewhere. There’s no slam-dunk name that jumps out and in those moments, focusing on fundamentals is key. That leads us to adding key offensive line depth. Isaac Seumalo is a free agent after the season and while Mason McCormick has promise, he’s hardly a sure thing. We settle on Cincinnati guard Luke Kandra. Big, physical, with burst out of his stance, he beats out Wisconsin S Hunter Wohler to be the Steelers’ pick at No. 163.

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Our draft concludes with a pair of seventh rounders. They come and go without much fanfare but we take them as seriously as we did anything else. At No. 225, Georgia Tech TE Jackson Hawes is our pick. A good in-line blocker, he’ll keep the running game healthy if Darnell Washington misses times. And at No. 247, we land Cal S Craig Woodson. Later than he’s realistically poised to go, especially after running in the 4.4’s at the Combine, but his versatility, hit power, and connection to DBs Coach Gerald Alexander (who recruited Alexander to Cal and coached him for a season) make him the guy. We’re done for the day.

Congrats to Mr. Irrelevant, No. 257 overall. That’s Louisville WR Ja’Corey Brooks, drafted by the Cleveland Browns. Poor guy – he never stood a chance.

Here’s the entire first round to see how night one went down across the NFL. Eight trades in total and the action really picked up after the top ten names went off the board.

It’s a lot to take in and worth recapping the picks – and the trades – below.

Draft Trades

Trade No. 1:

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Pittsburgh Sends: No. 21, No. 122
Buffalo Sends: No. 30, No. 62, No. 179

Trade No. 2:

Pittsburgh Sends: No. 52, No. 83
Atlanta Sends: No. 46, No. 117

Trade No. 3:

Pittsburgh Sends: No. 62, No. 179, No. 238
New Orleans Sends: No. 71, No. 186, 2026 3rd

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Trade No. 4:

Pittsburgh Sends: No. 117, No. 186, 2026 5th
New England Sends: No. 105

It’s easily the most number of trades we’ve made in an offseason. Moving and shaking up and down but I’m happy with how it turned out, especially getting that future third-round pick. Given all the free agent additions, we may or may not get comp picks, but this franchise will be in position to make a move in 2026 if a quarterback becomes available.

Rounding out our rookie class and to fill out a 90-man roster, we sign the following 13 undrafted free agents:

Garrett Greene/QB West Virginia
Jada Byers/RB Virginia Union
Peny Boone/RB Purdue
Zakhari Franklin/WR Illinois
Monaray Baldwin/WR Baylor
Anthony Torres/TE Toledo
Aiden Williams/OL Minnesota-Duluth
Andre Jefferson/DL Lenoir-Rhyne
Brian Ugwu/EDGE Miami (OH)
Collin Oliver/ILB Oklahoma State
Jacob Dobbs/ILB James Madison
Aubrey Burks/S West Virginia
Jonah Dalmas/K Boise State

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Our training camp depth chart looks like this.

And after a summer of camp and preseason action, here’s our Week 1 53-man roster and depth chart.

Notable cuts include WR Van Jefferson, TE Connor Heyward, EDGE Jeremiah Moon, and DL Logan Lee. One draft pick, Woodson, fails to stick. UDFA Collin Oliver is a notable inclusion, working as a possible 4th OLB to support having only three listed at the position in Watt, Highsmith, and Herbig.

Final Thoughts

That’s our 2025 roster. Is it perfect? Of course not. It never is, at least, not with me at the wheel. Offensive line depth doesn’t feel as secure as it could be. The defensive line could arguably be a bit stronger and new pieces in the secondary have to fit together. Running back depth is incomplete and the kick return game doesn’t seem improved unless cutting Patterson becomes addition by subtraction.

Quarterback remains the elephant in the room, lacking a long-term answer, but at least Fields and Rudolph are under contract for 2026 to give some offerings heading into next offseason. When we’ll mock it all once again.

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Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this exercise. It’s my favorite to write. The changes in sim made things less eventful and frankly, some of it felt too easy. Like I wrote at the top, this is a one-time challenge so I had no idea how cranky the sim would be or I could easily scoop up players left and right. Occasionally, there was resistance but I breezed through it better than most years. It still resulted in what feels like an attainable and positive way to improve the roster.

If you’d like to put on your general manager hat, you can find Pro Football Network’s offseason simulator tool here. Their mock draft sim is here.



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Pittsburg, PA

McCorkle: Pittsburgh Steelers 2026 Mock Draft (Final Version)

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McCorkle: Pittsburgh Steelers 2026 Mock Draft (Final Version)


It’s only fitting that one of the most eventful offseasons in Pittsburgh Steelers history will be capped by an equally unpredictable NFL draft. Owning 12 picks, including five in the top 100 for the first time since 1999, GM Omar Khan has a chance to radically change the franchise’s trajectory in front of a home crowd in Pittsburgh.

Last time they held five picks in the top 100, the Steelers found a couple very good long-term starters like OLB Joey Porter Sr. and DE Aaron Smith. But they also struck out on WR Troy Edwards, DB Scott Shields, and OT Kris Farris.

At a pivotal, transitional phase in franchise history, the Steelers can’t afford to find just two good starters. That may be a challenge in a draft lacking top-end talent that falls off a cliff in the later rounds. If they are out of range of coveted players, they can’t be timid in the trade market.

I posed the question on this week’s episode of The Depot Dive: Over or under 2.5 trades for the Steelers? I wanted to take the over, but it’s hard to make that work without a trade down. I settled on two.

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All that said, here’s my best attempt at predicting what the Steelers will do in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Round One (12th Overall) – Spencer Fano/OL/Utah – 6054, 311 pounds

Trade: Steelers send Patrick Queen + Pick No. 21 + Pick No. 121 + Pick No. 224. Cowboys send Pick No. 12 + 2027 sixth-round pick.

If they want Vega Ioane or Fano, I think it will require a move up. But I don’t think the Steelers will want to sacrifice a lot of picks to accomplish that. Queen is an easy target with the Cowboys having reported interest in trading for him during free agency.

Using our Dave Bryan’s trade idea as a loose template, I like the Steelers to jump up in the first round to solidify the trenches once again. This is the best move for the current—which we know the Steelers place a heavy emphasis on—and the future as they lock in a potentially elite offensive line for the next decade.

It’s a bonus that Fano can play guard now — and potentially tackle later if Broderick Jones or Dylan Cook don’t work out. Fano is Dane Brugler’s top OL in the class. If he makes it to 12, I like the value a lot.

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Others Considered: OG Vega Ioane, WR Makai Lemon, TE Kenyon Sadiq

Spencer Fano Scouting Report

Round Two (53rd Overall) – Jacob Rodriguez/ILB/Texas Tech – 6013, 231 pounds

Trading Queen creates a need that outweighs others (like wide receiver). Maybe Rodriguez doesn’t fall this far, but he should be the Steelers’ top target if he does.

As a former quarterback, Rodriguez has a unique football IQ that could be a force multiplier for the entire Steelers defense–something Patrick Queen never really turned into. I witnessed it firsthand at the Senior Bowl. He got everybody aligned correctly pre-snap in an environment where all had to learn a new defense in just a few days.

He’s also the most decorated defensive playmaker coming out of college in decades, even more than Payton Wilson’s impressive list of accolades from a couple years ago. This would be a home-run pick.

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Others Considered: WR Denzel Boston, ILB CJ Allen, S Treydan Stukes

Jacob Rodriguez Scouting Report

Round Two (59th Overall) – Germie Bernard/WR/Alabama – 6012, 206 pounds

Trade: Steelers send No. 76 + No. 99. Texans send No. 59.

Another move up to make sure the Steelers get a receiver they like at the end of the second round. Bernard was a pre-draft visitor and has the size and athletic profile that Mike McCarthy likes at the position. He does everything well, and played a healthy mix of slot and outside receiver to fit in the rotation with DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr.

Others Considered: WR Zachariah Branch, WR Chris Bell, ILB Jake Golday

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Germie Bernard Scouting Report

Round Three (85th Overall) – Kamari Ramsey/S/USC – 6002, 202 pounds

Not every selection will be a pre-draft visitor, and Ramsey fits the description of the type of defensive back the Steelers have looked at. He has played a strong mix of safety and nickel and is capable of being a chess piece in Patrick Graham’s defense. Given the Steelers’ crowded secondary, he could focus on backing up Jalen Ramsey at free safety in the beginning.

Others Considered: S Jalen Kilgore, OG Keylan Rutledge, QB Drew Allar

Kamari Ramsey Scouting Report

Round Four (135th Overall) – Carson Beck/QB/Miami (FL) – 6046, 233 pounds

The Steelers have spent too much time scouting quarterbacks not to take one. And Beck has several traits they are looking for, including his track record as a winner and his size at nearly 6-5. Their view of Mike McCarthy as a QB whisperer suggests they will give him as many projects as possible until one sticks.

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Others Considered: CB Tacario Davis, QB Garrett Nussmeier, WR Ja’Kobi Lane

Carson Beck Scouting Report

Round Five (161st Overall) – Ephesians Prysock/CB/Washington – 6033, 196 pounds

Prysock has all the traits to turn into an impact starter, and the Steelers have gravitated toward th long, rangy athletes at cornerback. He wouldn’t need to see the field right away with a crowded stable of defensive backs, but he has plenty of long-term upside.

Others Considered: WR/KR Kendrick Law, WR Josh Cameron, S Michael Taaffe

Ephesians Prysock Scouting Report

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Round Six (216th Overall) – Kaden Wetjen/WR-KR/Iowa – 5090, 193 pounds

Calvin Austin III and Kenneth Gainwell both departed in the offseason, which means the Steelers need a kick and punt returner. Wetjen is the top return specialist in the draft with six total return touchdowns in college.

Others Considered: OT Aamil Wagner, CB Thaddeus Dixon, WR Caleb Douglas

Kaden Wetjen Scouting Report

Round Seven (230th Overall) – Josh Cuevas/TE/Alabama – 6033, 245 pounds

Cuevas is versatile enough to be a rotational backup tight end, and to play H-back or fullback in certain personnel packages. He’s a committed and aggressive blocker and has enough receiving skills to be a dependable option on passing downs, either running routes or blocking.

Others Considered: DL David Gusta, RB Jaydn Ott, TE Matthew Hibner

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Josh Cuevas Scouting Report

Round Seven (237th Overall) – Brett Thorson/P/Georgia – 6012, 237 pounds

The Steelers brought back Cameron Johnston, but they didn’t even keep him over Corliss Waitman after last year’s training camp competition. Johnston is 34 years old and has dealt with injuries in each of the last two seasons. Thorson has a relationship with Johnston as a fellow Aussie, so it could be a decent pairing for another training camp competition this year.

Others Considered: WR CJ Daniels, QB Sawyer Robertson, TE John Michael Gyllenborg

Brett Thorson Scouting Report



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Flight heading to New York from Chicago diverts to Pittsburgh for a

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Flight heading to New York from Chicago diverts to Pittsburgh for a



A United flight traveling from Chicago to New York City diverted to Pittsburgh International Airport on Saturday afternoon for what was described as a “reported threat.” 

According to information provided by the Allegheny County Airport Authority and FBI Pittsburgh, United Flight 2092 diverted to Pittsburgh and landed safely. 

United Flight 2092 from O’Hare (Chicago) to LaGuardia (NYC) diverted to Pittsburgh International Airport.

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KDKA Photojournalist Anthony Sichi


The passengers have deplaned safely, and no injuries have been reported. 

“The plane was diverted and landed at Pittsburgh International Airport,” FBI Pittsburgh said in a statement provided to KDKA-TV. “All passengers and crew safely evacuated the aircraft. FBI Special Agent Bomb Techs and Special Agents are on the ground coordinating with local authorities.”

The airport authority has said that law enforcement is on the scene and investigating. 

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This is a developing story, and will be updated. 



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Pittsburgh’s 2026 Draft Short List – The Team’s Eight Most Likely First-Round Selections

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Pittsburgh’s 2026 Draft Short List – The Team’s Eight Most Likely First-Round Selections


The NFL Draft is always unpredictable and under a new head coach, it’s fuzzier than any time in recent memory to guess who the Pittsburgh Steelers will select in the first round. But if history continues predicting the future, it’ll be one of the eight below names.

Every year since at least 2010, Pittsburgh’s first-round pick has fallen into one of two camps: either the player came in for a pre-draft visit or a decision maker, head coach or general manager, attended that prospect’s pro day. 

So let’s assume that holds true even though we know it may not. Under those criteria, there are eight names that fit. Let’s break them down into the two buckets.

Pre-Draft Visit

WR Denzel Boston/Washington
WR Makai Lemon/USC
OT Spencer Fano/Utah
OG Vega Ioane/Penn State
CB Chris Johnson/CB San Diego State
S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren/Toledo

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Pro Day Attendance

OT Monroe Freeling/Georgia
ILB CJ Allen/Georgia

Could you stretch it to more? I suppose. Texas Tech ILB Jacob Rodriguez could be argued in the first round. Ditto with Georgia Tech OG Keylan Rutledge and Arizona DB Treydan Stukes. But those feel far less likely to be taken on Day 1, let alone at No. 21.

Mike McCarthy and Omar Khan attended only the Bulldogs’ Pro Day this year, an unusually low number of workouts compared to the past. McCarthy told reporters he planned to attend six but only made it to Georgia. That leaves just two names from that bucket, and Freeling could easily be off the board by the time Pittsburgh picks. He may be on Cleveland’s radar. 

Of the eight, who is most likely? That opinion can and will vary. Receiver and offensive line have been specific areas of focus, but there’s no telling how the board will fall. I’ll have my final mock draft Tuesday with my answer.

If the Steelers’ pick isn’t one of these eight, it’ll break a longstanding tradition. And in future years, open up the field of how the team could take at the top.

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