At the 21st overall pick, the Pittsburgh Steelers don’t seem destined to draft a quarterback. Without many other dire needs on the roster, the Steelers can feel pretty flexible at that pick.
There are a lot of positions with plenty of first-round talent. One area ESPN’s Peter Schrager and Daniel Jeremiah feel the Steelers need to target is the secondary.
“They are so old on defense. I’m looking at their depth chart, and it’s like, ‘Yeah they just moved Jalen Ramsey to safety, so I guess they’re set at safety.’ But are you? And pass rusher, well they brought back Cam Heyward, so they’re set, right? And they got T.J. Watt, but are you? Like, those guys are not young. So I’m gonna go defense. I’m gonna say at safety, 21, the Pittsburgh Steelers select Emmanuel McNiel-Warren, safety out of Toledo,” Schrager said Monday on his Schrager Hour show.
Taking part in a first-round mock, the two had the Steelers drafting Toledo S Emmanuel McNiel-Warren at the 21st overall pick. Jeremiah agreed with Schrager’s choice.
“Yeah, I’m a fan, you don’t have to sell me on that one. I’m a McNiel-Warren guy, through and through,” Jeremiah said.
The arguments for drafting a safety in the first round are there. Schrager mentions the Steelers moving Ramsey to safety, which they did midway through the 2025 season. That worked for the most part, but Ramsey probably won’t be staying put at that position in 2026. Speaking recently, Mike McCarthy highlighted the importance of Ramsey’s positional versatility, so he’ll likely move around the defense.
That said, the Steelers could use more depth at safety, even in the first round. Pittsburgh is getting DeShon Elliott back from injury, which is a big plus. Pittsburgh also brought in Jaquan Brisker and is expected to bring in Darnell Savage as well, some solid veteran depth. But out of those three, only Elliott is under contract through 2027, and none are under contract through 2028.
The Steelers need some long-term help at the position, and McNiel-Warren is a great candidate. He’s very solid against the run, with good technique as a tackler while still bringing some pop. His instincts are developing but he understands how to read a quarterback’s eyes and identifies route combinations in zone coverage, as well. His top-end speed isn’t great, but McNiel-Warren is a good overall athlete.
Our Alex Kozora graded him an early-to-mid Day 2 candidate during his scouting report earlier this offseason. On Mock Draft Database, McNiel-Warren sits near the end of the first round, not a huge difference.
By those standards, McNiel-Warren could be a little bit of a reach for the Steelers in the first round, but there is plenty to like about his game. With five picks in the first three rounds, the Steelers can afford to take some stabs, and McNiel-Warren is one worth considering.
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