Is outside linebacker as a major draft need so far-fetched for the Steelers?
Entering the 2026 NFL Draft, the Steelers have T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, and Jack Sawyer at outside linebacker. Do they really need more? Well, that depends on how far into the future you’re looking, because things could be very different very soon. As soon as next season, and even voluntarily, perhaps.
Recall, this is not a coaching staff that has any loyalty to the current players, even if the scouts do. Mike McCarthy didn’t draft these Steelers outside linebackers. He may have scouted them at other points in his coaching career, but they’re not his guys.
And here’s the thing: there are legitimate questions about all of them. At what point does Watt’s production no longer justify his cost by even his most charitable defenders? Is Alex Highsmith a true No. 1 pass rusher, and will Nick Herbig leave in free agency? The Steelers used a draft pick on an outside linebacker just last year, but is Jack Sawyer a future starter?
One can argue that of all the talent they have right now, the Steelers do not have a premiere outside linebacker, in terms of current value or production. Watt was certainly that guy, but is he in 2026? Neither Highsmith nor Herbig have ever been, and of course Sawyer is not, nor was he drafted to be. If the Steelers have a shot at drafting their next, say, James Harrison at outside linebacker, why not? Let the chips fall where they may if they should luck into such an opportunity.
In terms of draft value, if the best player available for the Steelers in the first round is an outside linebacker, they should consider themselves grateful. The other positions most associated with them are either of significantly lower priority or are simply too deep. Sure, they can probably land a great wide receiver, but they can draft a very good one on Day 2. They already have some great pass rushers. But can you pass up a chance at an elite one, especially given the evident uncertainty on the horizon?
The Steelers exited the playoffs in the first round yet again, a pattern going back to 2017.With seven consecutive postseason losses, and no wins in nearly a decade, they are facing another long, long offseason. No doubt we will see many changes, but none will top Mike Tomlin resigning.
The NFL has crowned its latest champion, but for us and the Steelers, we have been in offseason mode. That’s what happens when the team you coverloses by the middle of January all the time, but you’ve been around, so you know that already. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
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