The 2026 NFL Draft will mark the fourth one that Omar Khan has overseen as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ GM. Four years aren’t the 22 years that former president of football operations and later GM Kevin Colbert put in at the top of the Steelers’ organization, but they are enough to produce a decent sample size when it comes to Khan’s drafting tendencies.
He’s moved up and down the board, swinging trades to land guys he covets. He’s traded draft picks to land proven veterans, too. It’s not just about what he does on draft day though that lends us some nuggets to build off of.
What he’s done at the NFL Scouting Combine with his meetings with prospects has also helped give some insight into what he wants to do. This year’s Combine was no different.
Based on the tracking here at Steelers Depot, the Steelers met with 16 receivers at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, 12 of which were formal. The Steelers also met with 16 cornerbacks and safeties combined. So, of the 41 known meetings that we tracked, that means the Steelers spent 32 of them on wide receivers or defensive backs.
That’s nearly 80% of the meetings.
Safe to say, the Steelers know what their needs are. And those numbers of interviews set the Steelers up to double-dip at one — or both — of the position groups.
Double-dipping in the draft within the same position group is something Khan has done in all three of his drafts, including twice in his first one. Take a look:
2023 — First Round: Broderick Jones, OL; Second Round: Joey Porter Jr., CB; Seventh Round: Cory Trice Jr., CB; Seventh Round: Spencer Anderson, OL
2024 — First Round: Troy Fautanu, OL; Second Round: Zach Frazier, OL; Fourth Round: Mason McCormick, OL
2025 — First Round: Derrick Harmon, DL; Fifth Round: Yayha Black, DL
Looking back on those Combine meetings, the Steelers under Khan’s guidance met with 21 offensive linemen in 2023, six of which were formal, including Broderick Jones. They also met with 18 defensive backs that year, including 11 cornerbacks, one of which was Joey Porter Jr.
In 2024, Khan and the Steelers met with 13 offensive linemen. Last year, the Steelers met with 10 defensive linemen, one of which was Derrick Harmon in a formal setting.
The last time the Steelers double-dipped at wide receiver in the draft came in 2022, which was Colbert’s final draft. He selected George Pickens and Calvin Austin III. That year, the Steelers had eight meetings with receivers at the Combine. This year, it’s doubled.
Based on the Steelers’ brief history under Khan, and the final year of Colbert’s tenure, the Combine meetings have shown largely what direction the Steelers are going to go in at the draft, and they even lend some insight into where the Steelers could — and likely will — double-dip.
With major needs at receiver and cornerback entering the start of the new league year, it seems relatively safe to say right now that a double-dip is likely coming from Khan and the Steelers at receiver. The same can be said for the secondary, specifically at cornerback.
It sure seems like things are setting up for a double-dip once again from Khan and the franchise with a projected 12 picks in late April’s draft, and that seems like the right thing to do — at least right now ahead of free agency.
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