No matter which NFL mock draft you read involving the Pittsburgh Steelers, someone always has them drafting a wide receiver.
Right now, the Steelers essentially have one dominant receiver — and they had to trade for him this offseason. DK Metcalf leads all Pittsburgh receivers by a wide margin with 808 yards and six touchdowns. The next closest in receiving yards is tight end Pat Freiermuth with 352, while Calvin Austin III ranks second in touchdowns with four.
So yeah, it’s pretty evident Pittsburgh needs more playmakers for whoever ends up under center in 2026. And even that uncertainty could shape how the Steelers approach the draft.
Whether Aaron Rodgers decides to disappear on another darkness retreat to figure out if he wants to return for one more season remains to be seen. The 42-year-old has looked better than he did during his final stretch with the New York Jets, but his age is starting to show.
Either way, a quarterback or wide receiver will most likely — or at least should — be the pick for Pittsburgh in the first round. In CBS Sports’ latest mock draft from Mike Renner, the Steelers go wide receiver.
Steelers Draft USC WR in CBS Mock Draft
Renner currently has Pittsburgh picking 20th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft and selecting USC wide receiver Makai Lemon. Only two receivers come off the board before him in the mock: Ohio State’s Carnell Tate at No. 4 to the Cleveland Browns and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson at No. 5 to the New York Giants.
“The Biletnikoff Award winner slots into an offense in desperate need of a reliable No. 2 receiver. Lemon may be the most reliable receiver in the entire draft class with only a 2.8% drop rate for his entire career,” Renner wrote.
Winning the nation’s top wide receiver award matters. This season, Lemon has 79 receptions for 1,156 yards, averaging 14.6 yards per catch with 13 touchdowns. That production marked a major leap from his sophomore season, when he posted 52 catches for 764 yards and three scores.
Lemon has become the go-to playmaker for the Trojans in 2025 and the favorite target of redshirt junior quarterback Jayden Maivia. And as Renner pointed out, that connection is built on reliability — something the Steelers could desperately use regardless of who their quarterback is in 2026, but especially if it ends up being Mason Rudolph or Will Howard.
Should the Steelers Be More Worried About a QB?
It’s still very possible Pittsburgh, sitting at 8-6, could be looking for a quarterback in the 2026 draft. The issue is draft position.
If the Steelers win the AFC North and make the playoffs, they’ll slide down the board. Right now, their postseason outlook is encouraging following Monday night’s win over the Dolphins. NFL Next Gen Stats gives them a 61% chance to make the playoffs — the sixth-highest among teams hovering on the bubble.
The good news for Pittsburgh is even if it drops its next two games while the Baltimore Ravens win theirs, the Steelers would still control their fate. That would set up a Week 18 showdown against Baltimore with the AFC North title on the line.
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