The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a world of opportunities during April’s NFL Draft. At the 21st overall pick, there are several directions they can go. One being quarterback, with cornerback, safety and even guard all being positions to consider. However, Steelers beat writer Mike DeFabo thinks wide receiver is the most likely position the Steelers address first in the draft.
“Now as you move to Mike McCarthy, a guy who’s gonna want to run 11-personnel, three-wide stuff much more frequently, you have to give him the tools at his disposal. I think the most likely outcome is they draft a wide receiver in the first round. I think that’s probably where this is headed,” DeFabo said Thursday on the Scoop City podcast.
There certainly could be some shuffling across the offense this offseason. Former Steelers OC Arthur Smith and his love for tight ends helped shape the unit over the last two years. In 2025, the Steelers were helped by Darnell Washington’s emergence but also gave far too many snaps to Jonnu Smith. The position was so crowded that Pat Freiermuth struggled to find his own role for much of the season.
Under Mike McCarthy, the Steelers will focus more on the receiver position. Luckily, there are several candidates who could fill that spot opposite DK Metcalf. Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon and Denzel Boston all feel like first-round locks. There’s also KC Concepcion, and Omar Cooper Jr., who’s starting to become a late first-round candidate.
While the Steelers may be too far down the board for some of the top options at the position, they do have 12 draft picks to move around. Whether it’s in the first round or later, DeFabo expects Omar Khan to make a splash.
“They’ve got 12 draft picks. And the draft is in Pittsburgh. And I think they’re going to make a splash, even if it’s not landing a quarterback. Because Omar Khan earned this reputation, and the nickname for Mike Tomlin, the Khan Artist, because of his aggressive maneuvering within the draft. And now he’s got tons of draft capital to do so,” DeFabo said.
The Steelers have a lot of flexibility. If they like a top-flight receiver, or even a standout defender like Caleb Downs, they could consider moving up. A trade could also happen in the second round, with the Steelers not picking again until 53rd overall. With 12 picks, and three of them coming in the third round, Pittsburgh has the ability to make some moves and still have plenty of draft capital left over.
For what it’s worth, Khan didn’t rule anything out during media rounds earlier this week. Whether that “splash” comes in the first round or not, DeFabo is expecting one at some point. Regardless, he expects the Steelers to add a receiver, possibly the biggest need on the roster, in the first round of the draft.
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