Olaivavega Ioane. Omar Cooper Jr. Jordyn Tyson. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. You probably know all the names that the Steelers are commonly mocked to draft in the first round of 2026.
Whether it’s a name commonly wishcasted to Pittsburgh such as Ioane, or a name the team has shown pre-draft interest in such as McNeil-Warren, there’s plenty of coverage breaking down why those players may or may not fit the team.
But a curveball could be in the cards as well, especially as the Steelers have new leadership
under head coach Mike McCarthy.
Who’s a sleeper first-round pick option for the Steelers?
When Ryan Parish and I answered this question for a Steelers Read & React column last week, I went with Georgia linebacker C.J. Allen:
RB: Georgia’s C.J. Allen deserves a mention here. It’s the Steelers and an inside linebacker, after all, and there’s been some smoke with a formal combine meeting and pro day attendance. Pittsburgh also seems set on adding an inside linebacker this year – there was chatter of a Patrick Queen trade during free agency and there have been plenty of top-30 visits at the position. I wouldn’t love the value here, and to be fair, the Allen-to-the-Steelers train has slowed down quite a bit. But he still is a name to keep an eye on.
A few other names worth mentioning play in the trenches and had a Steelers pro day presence: Clemson’s Peter Woods (Ryan’s pick) and Blake Miller, Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor, and Georgia’s Christen Miller and Monroe Freeling, to name a few. Utah’s Spencer Fano also would’ve been a potential underrated name as well until the Steelers met with him for a top-30 visit on Monday.
And while wide receiver and quarterback have received plenty of pre-draft hype from Steelers media, the first-round cornerback crop has received little attention outside of the team’s visit with San Diego State’s Chris Johnson. Could Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy fall into the Steelers’ range? Or is Clemson’s Avieon Terrell a sudden value pick following subpar athletic testing?
Ultimately, top-30 visits have been the greatest indicator for Steelers’ first-round picks in recent years, but teams breaking precedent is always a possibility — and if you just expand the criteria to pro day attendance, suddenly a long list of new names become possible first-round options.
Who are your sleeper first-round pick options for the Steelers? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!
