Steelers Mock Draft Tae Johnson
Steelers Mock Draft Tae Johnson
For Mike McCarthy’s second Pittsburgh Steelers draft, he’s addressing defense at the top of it. That’s what ESPN’s Jordan Reid has the Steelers doing in the first round of a too-early 2027 mock draft, giving the team Notre Dame S Brauntae Johnson with the 14th overall selection.
“Johnson is my highest-ranked safety entering the season despite being relatively inexperienced,” Reid wrote. “His combination of instincts, ball skills and enthusiasm crashing downhill in run support makes him a high-upside prospect.”
Reid passed on the popular idea of pairing Pittsburgh with a quarterback. He has only three taken in the first round of his mock with each long gone before the Steelers came on the clock: Oregon’s Dante Moore at No. 1, Texas’ Arch Manning No. 2, and Notre Dame’s CJ Carr No. 3.
Johnson broke out last season for the Fighting Irish. He finished the year with 48 tackles (0.5 TFL), four interceptions, three pass breakups, and one defensive score. That included a 49-yard pick-six against the Pitt Panthers to close out the season.
NOTRE DAME FOLLOWS THAT UP WITH A PICK SIX pic.twitter.com/m6AAgyoqAP
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) November 15, 2025
Johnson is a redshirt sophomore and will have to declare himself eligible for the draft. If he has a 2026 similar to 2025, odds are high he will.
Pittsburgh figures to be in the market for safety help next offseason. Jalen Ramsey is under contract, but his high price tag gets harder to justify well into his 30s. Jaquan Brisker only signed a one-year deal and DeShon Elliott will be in the final year of his contract, too. Rookie Robert Spears-Jennings has enjoyed a strong summer, but it’s doubtful the Steelers will cement him as a 2027 starter.
The Steelers last used a first-round pick on a safety in 2018, surprising many by selecting Virginia Tech SS Terrell Edmunds. Before him, Pittsburgh traded up to select USC SS Troy Polamalu in 2003, a move we called the greatest selection of the Kevin Colbert era.
Reid’s mock is quarterback heavy with three taken with the top three picks. The first non-passer comes in at No. 4 with the Miami Dolphins, in a trade with the Cleveland Browns, moving up to take Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith. The first defender doesn’t appear until No. 6 with the Tennessee Titans snagging South Carolina EDGE Dylan Stewart.
Johnson was one of three Notre Dame players appearing in Reid’s first round, joining Carr and CB Leonard Moore at No. 7.