2026 Hindsight Draft

[tbsteel]

Now that the draft is over, what would you have done?

For fun, I included a scenario where we end up giving both of our 4th round picks to move up with the Cowboys to take Lemon, and then don't trade up in the second.

Standard version

1.21: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
2.47: Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech
3.76: Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State
3.85: Emmanuel Pregnon, G, Oregon
3.96: Keionte Scott, CB, Miami
4.121: Keyshaun Elliott, LB, Arizona State
5.169: Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas
6.210: Jeff Caldwell, WR, Cincinnati
7.224: Robert Spears-Jennings, S, Oklahoma
7.230: Eli Heidenreich, RB, Navy

Trade up for Lemon version

1.20: Makai Lemon, WR, USC
2.53: Emmanuel Mcneil-Warren, S, Toledo
3.76: Domonque Orange, DT, Syracuse
3.85: Emmanuel Pregnon, G, Oregon
3.96: Keionte Scott, CB, Miami
5.169: Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas
6.210: Deontae Lawson, LB, Alabama
7.224: Robert Spears-Jennings, S, Oklahoma
7.230: Eli Heidenreich, RB, Navy

[Steelafan77]

1. 21 CALEB LOMU

2. 53 EMMANUEL MCNEIL-WARREN

3. 76 EMMANUEL PREGNON

3. 85 CHRIS BELL

3. 99 MALIK MUHAMMAD

4. 121 KALEB ELARMS-ORR

4. 135 MICHAEL TRIGG

5. 161 ZXAVIAN HARRIS

6. 216 JEFF CALDWELL

7. 224 CHIP TRAYANUM

7. 230 MASON REIGER

[Mick]

1.21 Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
2.53 CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
3.76 Chris Bell, WR, Louisville
3.85 Gennings Dunker, OG/OT, Iowa
3.99 Jermod McCoy, CB
4.121 Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas
4.135 Micah Morris, OG, Georgia
5.161 Jalon Kilgore, S, South Carolina
6.216 Zxavian Harris, DT, Mississippi *
7.224. Carsen Ryan, TE, BYU
7.230 Eli Heidenreich, RB/WR, Navy
7.237. Aaron Hall, DT, Georgia

Partly feels that i’m way out of sync with steelers FO right now, which is fine. With 12 picks, i’m pretty happy taking guys who i can slot as IR for 2025, where they drafted a bunch of old “plug and play but 0 upside” guys and just reached for offensive guys early as if they’d gotten a ransom note saying “FiX tHE OffenSE FOr 2026, 2027 DoeSN’T maTTeR”

Fyi, 2025 hindsight draft:
https://forumsnew.sportsandshit.com/vie ... 50#p836050

* zxavian harris pick turns into bishop fitzgerald when we learn whatever non-public legal issues torpedoed harris as a draftable prospect

[Mick]

This appeared to be a properly formatted hindsight, so i’m documenting it here for posterity (though dude can request i remove it)

Max Iheanachor T Arizona State: A project. Limited experience. Good athleticism. It's not a horrible pick, but I think they could have done better.

Germie Bernard WR Alabama: A good WR, but I don't think they needed to move up to grab him. Will probably be the biggest impact player in 2026.

Drew Allar QB Penn State: Awful choice. Wasted a good pick on a QB that has shown he has many faults. He is big and has a strong arm. That's about it. There is nothing else special about him.

Daylen Everette DB Georgia: There were better CBs out there. He will be a bench player and retire elsewhere.

Gennings Dunker G Iowa: Nice pick. Mean attitude. Strong and loves the weight room. Slow foot work, but that is why he will by moved to G.

Kaden Wetjen WR Iowa: I like the player, but he is not a 4th round player. He would have been there in the 7th. They could use him in the slot, but I believe he will be strictly a return guy.

Riley Nowakowski TE Indiana: Heyward 2.0

Gabe Rubio DE Notre Dame: This is puzzling, A wasted pick. He will not be in the roster when the season starts.

Robert Spears-Jennings DB Oklahoma: Special teams player. Great speed and isn't afraid to hit. As for coverage ability...well...

Eli Heidenreich WR Navy: Great value pick. Great work ethic. Good hands. He could play a limited role as a RB and a slot WR. Doesn't have experience in a pro set. If Bernard and Wilson struggle he could be called upon. Mainly a special teams player to being with.

I would have went a different direction in this draft. We didn't address S, ILB or NT early on. Bernard, Dunker and Heidenreich are my favorite picks. If Heidenreich was chosen earlier in the draft I would not feel the same.

Here is how my draft came out using each team's choices in the draft. I realize it can't be exact because I would not choose Max at 21, but that could change another team's pick down the line.

21. Jacob Rodriguez ILB
53. Bud Clark S
76. Domanique Orange NT
85. Emmanuel Pregnon G
99. Jude Bowry OT
121. Ephysians Prysock CB
135. Cyrus Allen WR
161. Zane Durant DT
214. Deontae Lawson ILB
216. Fa'alili Fa'amoe G
224. Jaren Kanak TE
237. Eli Heidenreich WR/RB

[Steeldude]

I think all of these draft choices from each board member surpass what the Steelers did.