Steelers’ top 3 NFL Draft targets after playoff dud, Mike Tomlin exit

Big changes are coming for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team hasn’t been below .500 since 2003, including during the entire duration of Mike Tomlin’s tenure as head coach. However, mediocrity has plagued them in recent years, and Tomlin and the team are parting ways after a postseason blowout by the Houston Texans. The team could be in need of a new quarterback, too, as Aaron Rodgers could very well be headed to retirement.

Finding a new coach, and potentially a new quarterback, will be paramount during the upcoming offseason. The Steelers have holes all over their roster, though, and a rebuild seems inevitable. Pittsburgh will need to have a productive 2026 NFL Draft if they are to find success sooner rather than later. So, which prospects would be perfect fits that the Steelers should target?

Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama

If Rodgers does, in fact, retire or find a new home, then the Steelers will be desperate for a quarterback. They’ve struggled to figure out the position for years, ever since Ben Roethlisberger retired, and not picking until the 21st selection in the 2026 NFL Draft won’t help their case. This was considered a two-quarterback class with Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore at the top. The class got even thinner because Moore just announced that he is going back to Oregon.

The other signal caller who has a case to go in round one is Ty Simpson. If the Steelers think he can be their franchise quarterback, then they’d have to take him when they are on the clock in round one. That is, if he is even still on the board, which is less likely after Moore’s return to college.

Simpson was a first-year starter for Alabama this year, yet he looks like an NFL-ready quarterback. Simpson had 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns through the air for the Crimson Tide. He is a game manager who could find success right away for the Steelers. Simpson is a smart player who reads defenses and delivers his throws with accuracy.

His arm talent won’t blow anybody away, and he doesn’t have the highest ceiling, but Simpson could be a day-one starter. It is unclear if that is something that would intrigue the Steelers. After all, drafting Kenny Pickett in the first round just a few years ago didn’t work out for the team. Simpson seems like the best quarterback option if the Steelers are to go the quarterback direction in the draft, though.

Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

The Pittsburgh Steelers have long needed another receiver. It looked like they would have a great tandem between George Pickens and DK Metcalf when the latter was traded for, but the Steelers turned around and flipped Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. Pickens went on to have one of the best receiving seasons in the league.

The Steelers could reinforce their receiving corps by targeting Carnell Tate. The Ohio State product is a route-running technician with sure hands. He’d be a perfect...