The Steelers have 12 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, but how of them will they actually use? If they draft 12 players, they have to feel good about the chances of 12 rookies making the team. That’s certainly possible, and recently they have had an extremely high draft pick retention rate.
But 12 rookies are too high for many to believe, including Ray Fittipaldo. Asked about how many draft picks the Steelers might actually use, he said a significant cutdown. “Probably no more than eight”, he wrote in a recent chat. “Nine would be pushing it. That’s exactly why [Omar] Khan will try to use that capital to move up in this draft or back to next year’s draft. No way 12 rookies are making any NFL team”.
The last time the Steelers used more than seven draft picks was in 2021, taking nine players in total. Eight did make the roster, the exception being Quincy Roche, a sixth-round outside linebacker. That year, they traded a future fourth-round pick to gain a fifth rounder, which they used on Isaiahh Loudermilk.
The Steelers also used nine draft picks in 2019, with seven draft picks making it. Sixth-round pick Sutton Smith dealt with injuries, making it hard to make the team. Seventh-round OL Derwin Gray did rejoin the team a year later and dressed for a few games.
It’s been very rare for the Steelers to use more than nine draft picks, however. You have to go back to 2010 to find the last instance, and that proved to be a pretty good class. Led by Maurkice Pouncey and unearthing Antonio Brown in the sixth round, they had some heavy hitters. Emmanuel Sanders and Jason Worilds also developed into quality starters over time.
The only time the Steelers used more than 10 draft picks in the modern, seven-round format was in 1999. That proved to be another solid class, including Joey Porter Sr., Aaron Smith, Scott Shields, Jerame Tuman, and even Kris Brown. Unfortunately, first-round WR Troy Edwards never lived up to his draft spot.
Heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, the Steelers have three third-round picks, two fourth-round picks, and two picks each in the sixth and seventh rounds. Four sixth- and seventh-round picks might struggle to make the roster, but it depends on how they invest them. They could use one to challenge P Corliss Waitman or LS Christian Kuntz, for example, though that doesn’t always succeed.
The Steelers have had some bad luck with late-round draft picks recently, specifically defensive backs. Ryan Watts suffered a career-ending injury before ever playing. Cory Trice Jr. has barely played due to chronic injuries, and rookie Donte Kent suffered multiple injuries last year while never playing, including one after returning to practice from IR. DL Logan Lee also spent his rookie season on IR, and QB Will Howard spent most of his there, as well.
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