The Pittsburgh Steelers will enter the 2026 offseason on the prowl for a top quarterback. In ESPN’s too-early 2026 mock, they land one. Matt Miller shared an updated mock draft Monday morning, tabbing the Steelers with one of college football’s most exciting and promising quarterbacks. In it, Pittsburgh snags South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers with the 16th overall pick.
“He threw for 18 touchdowns to seven interceptions last season while rushing for 674 yards and seven scores. The 6-foot-3, 242-pounder is big, strong and mobile and could be picked way before this if he cleans up some decision-making mistakes. With two years of eligibility following next season, Sellers is no lock to be in the draft, but his potential excites evaluators.”
Sellers is a one-year starter who burst on-scene as a sophomore last season. Leading South Carolina to a 9-4 record, he threw for over 2,500 yards with 25 total touchdowns, 18 passing and seven rushing. His best performance came in a win over a ranked Missouri team, completing 21-of-30 passes for 353 yards and five passing touchdowns. As a runner, his signature moment came with this 75-yard score against LSU, making the deep safety grab air on his way to the end zone.
Sellers secured wins over Missouri, Oklahoma, and Clemson as the Gamecocks finished with nine wins for the first time since 2017. He also narrowly lost to LSU, Alabama, and Illinois, dropping those games by a combined nine points.
It’s a contrast to ESPN’s previous Steelers mock draft that had the team taking a defensive lineman.
Earlier this offseason, our Jonathan Heitritter offered his evaluation of Sellers.
“Sellers is young and inexperienced, but the physical tools that he brings to the table are enticing. He is every bit of 242 pounds and has shown extensively on tape that he can evade pressure or work through would-be sack attempts to keep the play alive, a similar trait many Steelers fans got to see out of Ben Roethlisberger for nearly two decades.”
As Miller notes, there’s no guarantee Sellers declares for the ’26 draft and an uneven year could send him back to school. But if his ascension continues, he’ll likely come out of next year’s draft and be viewed as one of its top prospects.
Sellers is the third quarterback selected in Miller’s mock. Clemson’s Cade Klubnik goes No. 1 overall to the Cleveland Browns while LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier is taken No. 11 to the Indianapolis Colts. Penn State’s Drew Allar is the fourth and last quarterback in the first round, going 27th to the Los Angeles Rams as Matthew Stafford’s eventual replacement.
Klubnik aside, the top-five of Miller’s mock is primarily filled by defenders: Clemson EDGE T.J. Carter, Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr., and Ohio State S Caleb Downs all come off the board in that range.
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