Throughout this draft cycle, wide receivers have been mocked in the first round to the Pittsburgh Steelers plenty. Even after adding Michael Pittman Jr., the position is still a favorite for Pittsburgh to address with the 21st overall pick. To draft analyst Todd McShay, it remains one of Pittsburgh’s biggest roster needs.
But only after outside linebacker.
“Let me go through the list… That in my estimation have [receiver], whether they’re primary or secondary, one of their top two needs on my list,” McShay said Friday on his podcast. “Steelers, I think it’s their number two need after EDGE, if I’m being honest with you. If we’re excluding quarterback, which we are.”
Receiver is no doubt a big need for the Steelers, one that’s been discussed all offseason. Even if a few of them come off the board before the Steelers go on the clock, they should have options to choose from. McShay thinks a substantial number might come off the board in the first round, and the Steelers could very well be in that mix.
But McShay prioritizing EDGE over wide receiver for the Steelers is a little surprising, and for good reason. It’s not a position many have considered as one of the Steelers’ bigger roster needs until recently. Peter Schrager turned some heads when he mocked Clemson EDGE T.J. Parker to Pittsburgh earlier this week. Since then, a couple of other analysts, including Ryan Wilson and Marc Ross, have said the position is one the Steelers should consider targeting early in the draft.
There are some talented edge rushers who will go in the first round. And the Steelers have enough draft capital to take one early if they want to go with the best player available. But is it really Pittsburgh’s biggest roster need?
On paper, the answer seems like a resounding no. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith have long been a formidable duo. Nick Herbig and Jack Sawyer represent some promising youth at the position behind them.
But retaining Herbig beyond the 2026 season could be difficult. He’s one of several players the Steelers need to consider for an extension this offseason. But if he signs one, he’ll still be behind Watt and Highsmith, both of whom are under contract through 2027. It might make more sense for him to test the open market next March, one which might be lucrative.
If the Steelers are interested in addressing EDGE in the draft, there are options. Scheme fits aside, Parker, Ahkeem Mesidor and Keldric Faulk could be available at No. 21 overall. In the second round, the Steelers could target options like Malachi Lawrence, R Mason Thomas, Gabe Jacas, Derrick Moore and Dani Dennis-Sutton.
Still, the Steelers have more pressing needs at other positions, with several spots on the roster having far less depth. Yet McShay is another analyst who’s starting to believe EDGE is the Steelers’ biggest roster need.
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