Steelers Now
Whether you’re a Pittsburgh Steelers fanatic or an NFL Draft sicko (or perhaps both if you’re like me), the best time of the year is officially upon us as football season has finally arrived. For many of you, your weekends will be entirely spent in front of the television, and it’s a decision that I wholeheartedly endorse. Week one of the college football schedule is set to kick off, so let’s talk about some intriguing prospects worthy of being placed on your radar.
Months ago, I gave pretty detailed thoughts on the quarterback and wide receiver classes, knowing that those are two positions that Omar Khan and company will assuredly be keeping close tabs on. Every cycle, each analyst has their collection of prospects that they hold near and dear to their heart, aka the “my guys” list. In addition to guys like Indiana signal caller Fernando Mendoza and USC weapon Makai Lemon highlighted in articles above, these are the guys that I’m most bullish on compared to others.
It’s obviously still very early in the process, but below are a couple of my preliminary flag plants for the 2026 NFL Draft. The number in parenthesis beside each player is where they are currently ranked on the consensus board, and you will notice that most of these prospects are not slam-dunk selections. That’s on purpose. Everyone loves Archie Manning, Peter Woods, and Caleb Downs! The point of this piece is merely to introduce some names that you may have not heard about so far so that you can follow their journey throughout the fall. Enjoy!
Rapidly ascending prospect with mesmerizing physical tools. Fano has limitless pocket range and advanced hand usage well beyond his years as a pass protector, while simultaneously being a legit mauler in the run game with a nasty play demeanor. There’s a reality in which he’s the first tackle off the board in April, especially after adding some mass this offseason, presumably to help improve the stability of his anchor.
Juiced-up Junior has matchup nightmare written all over him due to his smooth movement skills up the seam, creativity as a ball carrier on designed touches, and upside as an in-line blocker due to his now 255-pound frame. With just 30 career receptions, his overall body of work seems underwhelming on the surface; however, keep in mind that he was playing behind a fellow top-50 selection in Terrance Ferguson. He’s a loose mover that should see an expanded route tree in 2025.
Boundary cornerback with plenty of press-man experience, regularly blankets receivers on vertical routes, and has a proven ability to weaponize his length at the catch point with nine forced incompletions last season. While playing near the line of scrimmage is his calling card, he’s comfortable playing with vision on the quarterback, plays with an edge, and is a reliable tackler. He can be a bit...
