Behind the Steel Curtain
The Steelers made a whopping 10 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, but there’s a chance not a single rookie is starting on offense or defense Week 1. That makes this yearly exercise of predicting which rookies will play the most particularly difficult.
But it’s always a guessing game, isn’t it? Let’s dive in:
There are three players in the Steelers’ recent draft class who are expected to play heavy snaps in 2026. While second-round receiver Germie Bernard might be the first one to rotate in on offense, Dunker probably has the earliest shot at becoming a full-time starter. I like his chances of leapfrogging Spencer Anderson at right guard earlier than Max Iheanachor overtaking Dylan Cook — or maybe even Broderick Jones/Troy Fautanu — at right tackle.
Dunker will be making a position switch in the NFL, but the former college right tackle will likely be staying on that side of the line, just moving one spot inside. And he did play some right guard during his first year as a Hawkeye. It’s worth mentioning that he’s coming out of Iowa, one of the finest offensive line factories in college football.
Once Dunker makes the starting lineup, he’ll rack up high snap counts in no time. He might be the team’s fifth draft selection in 2026, but for now, he’s my bet for who will contribute the most of Pittsburgh’s draft class in Year 1.
Playing behind DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr., Bernard probably won’t get many true starts in 2026 unless a name ahead of him misses a game, which could certainly happen. Still, all the buzz out of the Steelers’ OTAs has been that Bernard has been as NFL-ready as advertised, and he should slot in quickly as the team’s primary WR3.
New head coach Mike McCarthy will probably use more 11 personnel than past coordinator Arthur Smith did with the Pittsburgh offense, meaning that Bernard, who has a versatile skill set, should see the field early and often.
Where the Steelers’ first-round pick slates into the team’s 2026 plans is still up in the air. The long-term plan is likely for Iheanachor to be Pittsburgh’s right tackle of the future, but a few obstacles stand in the way of him filling in that role as a rookie.
For one, he’s still fairly new to football, and although the Arizona State product isn’t as raw as some have worried, the Pittsburgh coaching staff might not see a reason to rush him into the starting lineup too early. Dylan Cook, the current starter at right tackle, impressed in 2025, and remember that Pittsburgh was originally planning to draft wide receiver Makai Lemon with the pick that became Iheanachor — signaling the team wasn’t worried about the right tackle position to the point of prioritizing it in Round 1.
There’s also the question of Broderick Jones — if healthy, he would give the...
