With most of their needs addressed in free agency, the Pittsburgh Steelers could look to upgrade their offensive line with the 21st overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. One specific spot where they might need some help is left guard, a position that has a standout in this year’s draft in Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane.
Ioane has been mocked to the Steelers plenty in recent weeks, and the fit does make sense. But to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo, the position shouldn’t be one the Steelers target in the first round.
“So it could be a situation there, if Vega is available at 21. The Steelers could make that pick, but you noted the depth in this class. It’s not a necessity. The Steelers can go and get that guy in the second [day] with one of their three third-round picks. So, I don’t think they’re gonna be panicking with those moves,” Fittipaldo said Monday on the North Shore Drive podcast.
There are a lot of things to like about Ioane. He has very few weaknesses, with his mostly average athleticism being the main one. But he has plenty of skills that should translate well to the NFL. Ioane is very powerful, especially in his hands. He’s good in the run game and has shown plenty of potential in pass protection as well. There’s a reason teams see him as a first-round pick.
One who might not even make it to the Steelers at 21st overall.
However, Fittipaldo doesn’t think Olaivavega Ioane, or the guard position in general, should be that much of a necessity. Some don’t like to draft the position in the first round no matter who the prospect is. And the position was also addressed this past weekend, with the Steelers bringing in Brock Hoffman, somebody with whom Mike McCarthy is familiar.
That doesn’t mean Hoffman will start, and it is still a position the Steelers should add to in the draft. But with Hoffman and Spencer Anderson, the Steelers now have some decent depth at the position. Left tackle, receiver and the secondary are also positions Pittsburgh could look at in the first round instead.
If the Steelers pass on a guard in the first round, they have options on Day 2. Chase Bisontis and Emmanuel Pregnon are among the guards who could be available. In the third, where the Steelers have three picks, someone like Keylan Rutledge, Billy Schrauth or Jalen Farmer could also fit the bill.
There’s still a little over a month until the draft actually rolls around. And if Olaivavega Ioane is on the board at the 21st pick, he is a player the Steelers definitely have to consider. But Fittipaldo doesn’t think they should feel too desperate to draft the position that early.
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