The Pittsburgh Steelers have some clear roster needs ahead of next week’s start of the new league year. Quarterback is one of them, and it’s the most important.
After quarterback, wide receiver and cornerback are two significant Steelers areas of need, and they have a chance to address both very early in the 2026 NFL Draft.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid did just that in his latest two-round mock draft that published Tuesday morning. Reid paired the Steelers with Arizona State receiver Jordyn Tyson at No. 21 and Miami (FL) cornerback Keionte Scott in the second round, addressing the two holes right off the top.
Sitting at No. 21, the Steelers had their pick of receivers outside of Ohio State’s Carnell Tate and USC’s Makai Lemon. Tate went No. 9 to the Kansas City Chiefs, while Lemon went No. 12 overall to the New York Jets, who traded up with Dallas in the mock draft scenario.
So, the Steelers landed Tyson in the mock, giving Pittsburgh a big-play threat on the perimeter to pair with DK Metcalf.
“Tyson is arguably the most talented receiver in this class, but I have him falling to the Steelers because of concerns about his durability,” Reid writes. “He has dealt with nagging injuries and never played a full season in college. When he plays, Tyson is a strong, productive (61 receptions for 711 yards and eight touchdowns last season) ball winner on the outside who shows versatility with his route tree.
“The Steelers need a No. 2 receiver in the Z role opposite DK Metcalf, and Tyson could be that player.”
There is no doubting Tyson’s talent. When he’s on the field he completely changes games. The issue is, he’s not on the field consistently due to injury issues. Last season at Arizona State, he played in just nine games due to a hamstring injury. That same injury caused him to skip the NFL Scouting Combine’s on-field drills and testing, leaving teams with plenty of questions.
Fortunately for the Steelers, they should have the inside track on Tyson, due to Arizona State’s receivers coach being none other than Hines Ward. That connection should help Pittsburgh get all the information it needs on Tyson.
If he can shake the injury bug, there’s a dynamic receiver in there who could give Pittsburgh’s offense a massive boost. But there is risk there that the injury issues in college will follow him to the NFL, which has a longer season and is a more physical level of football.
After Tyson in the first round, Reid did a nice job of pairing Scott with the Steelers in the second round at No. 53 overall.
“Scott is a high-intensity, physical nickel defender who isn’t afraid to chirp a bit, making him a perfect fit in Pittsburgh’s defensive backfield,” Reid writes. “He has the talent to immediately change the outlook of a secondary.”
Scott is a good player and had one heck of a run in the College Football Playoffs for the Hurricanes. But in this scenario Reid still had Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds on the board, and he is a better fit for Pittsburgh due to his ability to stick outside despite questions regarding his size.
Still, cornerback is a major need for the Steelers opposite Joey Porter Jr., and Scott would give Pittsburgh some versatility and physicality at the position.
If Tyson and Scott were the Steelers’ first two picks of the draft, it would be hard to have any qualms about GM Omar Khan’s path in this scenario. It would set Pittsburgh up nicely to attack other needs — and maybe even double dip — in the third round and beyond with a number of Day 2 and Day 3 selections.
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