As things stand, the Pittsburgh Steelers are projected to have 12 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, which just so happens to be in Pittsburgh.
With those 12 picks, the Steelers could find themselves in great position to move up for a potential franchise quarterback in a 2026 draft that many believe should be a very good one at quarterback.
For ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Steelers are already shaping up as the most intriguing team ahead of the draft in the Steel City due to the number of draft picks they have, their need at quarterback, and the drama and moment that could occur with the team possibly landing its quarterback of the future in its hometown draft.
Of course, the Steelers are still waiting for a decision from quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the 2025 season and if he’ll sign with the Black and Gold, but one thing is clear right now: the Steelers have their eyes on the 2026 NFL Draft to try and solve the most important position in sports, and they have the draft capital to be aggressive and do it.
“We also know whether or not they sign Aaron Rodgers, they’re probably gonna be back in the quarterback market again,” Schefter said Monday on “The Adam Schefter Podcast,” according to video via the NFL on ESPN YouTube page. “So when you’ve got all these draft picks and you’ve got a great quarterback draft and the draft is in your city, all of a sudden it starts to get a little interesting to see where Pittsburgh’s going to decide to allocate its draft capital, to see if it can make an aggressive push up the board to go get a quarterback, to see what the reaction in that city will be like when they’re using what is now scheduled to be 12 picks.
“Twelve picks, including three in the third round, one courtesy of that big trade with George Pickens.”
Those 12 picks, should the Steelers receive the projected compensatory picks that they are linked to currently, would give the Steelers the most picks in a draft that any team has had in recent years. Just a few weeks ago in the 2025 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens each had 11 picks.
According to Steelers.com’s Bob Labriola, those 12 picks would be the most the Steelers have ever had in a seven-round draft, with the only year in the seven-round history for the Steelers ever coming close was the 1999 NFL Draft in which they had 11 picks.
That the 2026 NFL Draft will be in Pittsburgh is quite fitting, too. The Steelers played the compensatory picks game this offseason in free agency, and moved Pickens after the 2025 NFL Draft, making sure they landed a 2026 draft pick on top of it. Now, they’re loaded up for next year’s draft and should be able to be aggressive and move around for a quarterback they deem worthy, whether that’s Penn State’s Drew Allar, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, or South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, among others.
Of course, we’ll have to see how the 2025 season unfolds and where the Steelers land in the draft order, but with that type of war chest of draft picks and a QB class that has real promise, the Steelers are very intriguing.
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