Steelers Now
From the time they traded George Pickens away last offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers dealt with questions surrounding their receiving corps. Tailback Kenneth Gainwell paced the team in receptions as Aaron Rodgers waited for someone other than DK Metcalf to step into a highlight role.
Pro Football Focus’ Gordon McGuinness proposed a fix for the Steelers and whichever head coaching candidate they choose to take charge. McGuinness had them taking Texas A&M wideout KC Concepcion with the No. 21 overall pick of his latest 2026 NFL Draft mock-up.
“It’s an offseason of change for the Steelers, with head coach Mike Tomlin stepping down after the team’s wild-card round loss to the Houston Texans,” McGuinness wrote Sunday. “Big questions remain at the quarterback position, but answers are unlikely to come in the first round of the draft. Pittsburgh’s other big problem on offense was wide receiver depth.
“Concepcion earned a 78.2 PFF receiving grade against man coverage in 2025 and would pair nicely with DK Metcalf.”
Concepcion was the fifth receiver chosen in the projection. Ohio State’s Carnell Tate (No. 5, New York Giants), Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson (No. 6, Cleveland Browns), USC’s Makai Lemon (No. 8, New Orleans Saints) and Washington’s Denzel Boston (No. 16, New York Jets) all went before him.
Concepcion, a North Carolina State transfer, notched 61 receptions for 919 yards and an SEC-leading nine touchdowns with the Aggies as a junior. He declared for the draft last month.
Calvin Austin III and Scotty Miller are both free agents this offseason. Adam Thielen recently retired after spending the final weeks of his career in Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Net Major Boost to Attack In Latest 2026 NFL Draft Mock-Up
