Steelers Read & React: Parish’s 2026 Offseason Blueprint

After a short break following the end of the Steelers’ season, Read & React is back. We’re also starting off the new batch of columns by returning to what was one of our favorite series to write last year: offseason blueprints.

If you don’t remember, it’s a fairly simple premise. Before the actual roster building starts in March, each one of us will take a stab at what our plan would be if we were in the general manager’s chair. While our choices will attempt to be fairly realistic, it’s important to note this is in no way a prediction but rather what we would do. We’ll be outlining potential extensions, cuts, trades, signings, and draft picks — just not coaching changes — to try to best build the Steelers for 2026 and beyond.

This year, Ryan will be going first with his plan, and I, Ryland, will be asking questions throughout. Next week, we’ll switch places.

With the intro out of the way, let’s dive in:

RB: Alright, Ryan. After a year off, you’re back in the GM role for a day. Before we get into all the moves you would make to reshape the Steelers as they enter the Mike McCarthy era, let’s get an idea of what your vision is for the team. What are the strengths and weaknesses that immediately stand out? What kind of roster does Pittsburgh need to have to succeed in the modern NFL?

RP: I wouldn’t call it a vision as much as a reset. I don’t think the Steelers will make as many splash moves as they did last offseason. The trades for DK Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey, and Jonnu Smith, the courting of Aaron Rodgers, and even the extension of T.J. Watt now, with the gift of hindsight, seem like an obvious tell of an old coach pushing all his chips in for one last ride.

We were skeptical of the moves at the time, but now the organization has to sit in those choices. Those moves haven’t put the Steelers in a financial bind, thankfully, but it does seemingly put a cap on how much they can improve in an offseason that doesn’t have a strong free agency class, and an odd draft class that is strongest at non-premium positions.

The weaknesses on the Steelers’ roster aren’t exactly new. They need a long-term quarterback. They need more talent and depth among their pass-catching group. The secondary depth is lacking. The linebacking group is questionable. The defensive line could bolster its depth as well.

The Steelers don’t have many strengths, but the ones they do have are what give them a puncher’s chance at remaining competitive enough to make the playoffs. The offensive line has three quality starters. The pass rush, though aging, is still solid. Joey Porter Jr. is ascending at cornerback. Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth are as good a tight end duo as any in the league, even if the past coaching staff struggled to make the most of them consistently. Jaylen Warren is still one of the more underrated running backs in the league.

Take all that into account, and I don’t see the Steelers as true title contenders in 2026, but they aren’t that far away from a real turnaround either. If they can add some difference makers on offense for their future quarterback, and embrace some modern trends on defense, I think this is a team that can get the arrow pointing up again with a couple of productive offseasons.

RB: I have a similar mix of optimism and pessimism when it comes to the roster. With the basics out of the way, let’s dive into the initialmoves you’ll be making. Ahead of free agency, are you making any moves to clear up cap space?

Like last year, I used Spotrac’s team management tool to figure out the moves that felt feasible for the Steelers.

Several big questions hang over the Steelers’ offseason. Who is leaving this team? There has been mounting speculation about the futures of several Steelers under contract: Watt, Smith, Ramsey, Patrick Queen, Cam Heyward. Will the team trade Alex Highsmith or Nick Herbig?

Ultimately, I elected to only let go of Queen and Smith. The Steelers aren’t in dire cap trouble, even with some of the questionable contracts they’ve handed out, and the league salary cap is taking another big leap up in 2026.

I have a hard time seeing the team trading the contracts of Watt and Ramsey for any worthwhile return. The offseason to trade Watt was last yearbefore handing him a big contract. Ramsey’s contract aging poorly was also easy to predict, even if he became an above-average safety. Any trade in 2026 involving those two would likely involve the Steelers taking on a large portion of those contracts and getting Day 3 picks in return, at best. At that point, it’s probably better to keep them.

I also don’t see trading away Highsmith or Herbig as a necessary move. I’d wager that most years, we see the Super Bowl-winning team featuring a stable of quality pass rushers they’re able to rotate between. There may only be two starting edge spots for the Steelers, but the new staff would be wise to rotate them more in-season. If the Steelers want the pash rush to remain a strength, they should be adding this season, not subtracting.

For our purposes, we’ll be assuming that Heyward isn’t retiring. He has a spot on the roster as long as he wants to play, as far as I’m concerned. He’s out of guaranteed money, as he was last offseason, so I’d consider kicking him some extra dollars to avoid a summer headache, but he’s still playing at a high level, and the defense is better with him than without him. Plus, I still see value in exposing any incoming rookie linemen the Steelers select to Heyward’s professional wisdom.

As for Queen and Smith, they both carry dead cap figures of roughly $3.8 million should they be cut. Cutting Queen would save the Steelers about $10 million, and Smith would save $7 million.

Smith never really established himself in the offense despite getting a high snap count. He was an Arthur Smith guy, and I have a hard time seeing what value he provides to the team. He’s an abysmal blocker in the run game, and he runs a limited route tree involving mostly underneath routes that he failed to turn into big gains in 2025. Letting him go was an easy choice.

As for Queen, he’s never lived up to being the largest free agent contract the Steelers have ever given. Queen had a high tackle count, but he struggled in pass coverage, and he wasn’t consistent enough against the run. With a new staff in place, I think it’s better for both sides to start fresh.

RB: I agree that parting ways with Jonnu Smith makes sense, as does moving on from Queen or Malik Harrison at inside linebacker. Now, let’s talk extensions. That 2023 draft class is entering the last year of their respective deals. Are you getting ahead of the market with any of them?

RP: I don’t view it as getting ahead of the market. Traditionally, if the Steelers view a player as part of their long-term plans, they get them a contract ahead of the final year of their rookie deal. By entering the year without one, the Steelers are losing leverage with a player the following offseason, once they are set to hit free agency. In some cases, like with Najee Harris, it’s a clear indication the team doesn’t intend to resign them.

The 2023 class was Omar Khan’s first draft without the influence of former GM Kevin Colbert. It’s been a mixed bag, but I would hardly call any of the selections disasters, even if a few have not achieved as much as we’d have hoped.

The first big decision the Steelers will have to make is with Broderick Jones’ fifth-year option. Jones has struggled to establish himself at left tackle, though he has made small improvements each year. I’m electing not to pick up his option, as I don’t think he’s earned the estimated $20 million the option would pay him. This could end up costing the Steelers a ton of money should he take a big leap forward in his development next season. Still, that’s a gamble I’m willing to take, and a player who I could foresee moving on from this time next year.

I’m also choosing not to extend defensive lineman Keeanu Benton. I could foresee trying to offer a contract to him following the 2026 season, but he’s still lacking too much against the run for me to feel comfortable giving him a big second contract. He’s a fun pass rusher, and I do think he’s been forced to play out of position in Pittsburgh, but with it being another deep defensive line draft class, I think he’s more easily replaced than some of these others.

Lastly, I’m not resigning cornerback Corey Trice Jr. or offensive lineman Spencer Anderson. Trice hasn’t been healthy enough to see the field much since being drafted and is no lock to make the 2026 roster. Anderson, I actually like a ton for being a seventh-round pick, but he is a player who I think could be resigned for cheap following this season without much competition from other teams. He’s performed well, especially in sixth offensive lineman packages, but he’s also a player whose ceiling I see being capped at being a quality depth piece.

With that out of the way, I’m choosing to extend three players from the 2023 draft:

• Joey Porter Jr. 4 years – $92m ($22m bonus, $6.54m cap hit in 2026)
• Nick Herbig 4 years – $55m ($12.8m bonus, $3.71 cap in 2026)
• Darnell Washington 3 years – $24.5million ($6.25m bonus, $4.93m cap hit in 2026)

Joey Porter Jr. is an ascending talent, and with the other needs at premium positions the Steelers will need to address in the 2026 and 2027 offseasons — like a quarterback, wide receiver, and potentially a new left tackle — I think it makes sense to secure his talents for the immediate future. Some of our readers might wince at that price tag, but it’s in line with a contract recently signed by DaRon Bland with Dallas, a player I find to be an inferior corner compared to Porter Jr. Porter and his agents will likely point to this contract — and perhaps some contracts signed elsewhere around the league this offseason — as a good baseline for determining his value, and it’s a compelling case. Good teams keep their good players, so I sign this deal without blinking.

RB: Extending Joey Porter Jr. feels inevitable, but Washington and Herbig haven’t been getting as much extensionbuzz. What makes you want to extend them, and how did you decide on their contract values?

RP: Maybe the Steelers chat boards aren’t talking about Herbig much, but I can assure the rest of the league is. I’ve already seen several wishcasting articles and social media posts from other fanbases that are foaming at the mouth at the idea of prying Herbig away from the Steelers.

There is clearly interest around the league, which should tell you something about Herbig as a player. But beyond that, I, and Steelers fans as a whole, have eyeballs, Ryland. Most of us have two. And they’ve seen that Herbig at many points over the past two seasons was the Pittsburgh pass rusher with the most juice, not to mention he was often the most productive.

Herbig’s size and play against the run might prevent him from being the type of player who can ironman for a team like Watt has in his prime, but frankly, that’s pretty rare in the modern NFL anyway. There’s a really good argument to be had that the best defenses have four or five quality rushers who cycle in and out to keep each other fresh. Look at the Eagles’ defense from the 2024 season or the Seahawks roster that just tormented the playoffs with a stable of pass rushers that included Leonard Williams, Demarcus Lawrence, Derick Hall, Boye Mafe, and Uchenna Nwosu.

Watt and Highsmith are still quality players, and their primes would likely be extended by more rotation to prevent less wear and tear. Both have struggled with injuries in recent years and are unlikely to sign any additional contracts with Pittsburgh. Herbig will just be entering his second contract with relatively little tread worn off his tires. He’s impactful now and is the future. The Steelers would be wise to hold on to that. I settled on four years for $55 million because that was Spotrac’s suggested market value for him, and that might be low. Consider that many of you readers already believe Herbig to be superior to Highsmith, and Highsmith’s second contract was for four years and $68 million. The Steelers will still have over $30 million in cap space once I’m finished with all my projected moves, so if they need to go higher, so be it.

As for Washington, I once again implore you to consider what your eyes have already seen. Washington played the most snaps of any Pittsburgh tight end this year because he was both a weapon with the ball in his hands and an essential cog in the Steelers’ rushing attack. He’s also an ascending talent, but also coming off an arm injury. Washington has not put up eye-popping receiving numbers, which is why I think his number can remain relatively low. If I were the Steelers, I would want to use any advantage I have presently to negotiate an extension with him now, before that number goes up. While I’m presenting a deal mirroring the one signed by Colby Parkinson with the Rams because of their relatively meager receiving production, I’m prepared to go higher for a player I think you could drop into any offense, regardless of scheme, and find a way for him to help you.
I initially considered offering him a contract similar to what the Bills gave Dawson Knox (four years, $52 million), another tight end who is more valuable for his blocking than his receiving. But even Knox had two straight seasons with 600+ receiving yards before signing his second contract. Washington set a career high with 364 yards in 2025. If Washington’s team can push the Steelers for more than what Parkinson got, all the power to them. Keep that young man in the Black and Gold.

RB: And for the last bit of housekeeping ahead of the legal tampering period, who are you bringing back and letting go when it comes to the team’s pending free agents?

I’ll try to keep this relatively short since, outside of the quarterback, this isn’t a sexy list of names.

I’m re-signing:

• QB Aaron Rodgers at suggested market value ($10.56m)
• CB James Pierre at suggested market value (1 yr, $1.87m)
• C Ryan McCollum at suggested market value (1 yr $1.3m)
• DL Esezi Otomewo at suggested market value (1 yr $1.3m)
• OL Andrus Peat at suggested market value (1 yr $1.97m)

Peat can fill in at multiple positions on the offensive line as needed, which makes him worthy of keeping around.

McCollum and Otomewo will never be starters, but have both played admirably enough at positions where I’ve let other players walk this offseason. They are good enough depth options at their price point.

RB: I’ll be honest, I was not expecting you to bring back Aaron Rodgers given your quarterback takes this past season — but it is a rough year to find a better option. What makes Rodgers the best option for 2026 in your opinion?

RP: Earlier this offseason, I highlighted the limited options available to the Steelers in the quarterback market. While I think there are options who could potentially play better this year for Pittsburgh, I see none that I believe could be The Guy for the Steelers’ long-term. At least not enough to send Day 2 picks or big money on. It’s for this reason that I’m sticking with Rodgers at quarterback, even though it gives me little joy or optimism for 2026.

In the event that Rodgers retires, I do think free agent Malik Willis or trade target Mac Jones would be my top choices. I see both as reasonable bridge quarterbacks with at least a slim chance of catching lightning in a bottle if conditions are just right for them. But if Rodgers is willing to come back on a similar deal to last year, I think I’ll prefer that to any QB entanglements that could interfere with the 2027 offseason when there could be more options in both the quarterback draft, and free agency overall.

Willis has connections in Miami and Arizona that seem more likely to lure him to a contract. There’s also a chance he pushes for $15-20 million per year. That wouldn’t be crippling, but I don’t think the Steelers should enter a bidding war to attract a player with such limited playing time in the NFL.

Jones would require a trade with San Francisco, and the Niners’ brass is already floating in the media that they don’t want to trade him. That makes sense given Brock Purdy’s injury history, but every organization has its price. Just because they say they don’t want to trade him, doesn’t mean they won’t. Still, I would only trade a fourth or fifth-round pick for Jones. I’m not giving up one of the Steelers’ three projected third-round picks or more for a player I view as a bridge quarterback. If done right, the Steelers could find three starters who might have longer tenures in Pittsburgh and provide the future quarterback with a better supporting cast.

If Rodgers does end up retiring, and neither Willis nor Jones are gettable, Plan D would be for the Steelers to see if the Eagles’ Tanner McKee could be had at a cheaper cost than Jones. Beyond that, draft a project QB like Garrett Nussmeier or Kade Klubnik to compete with Will Howard and Mason Rudlolph. If you’d rather have a vet, I’m open to that too, though none of the options instill much confidence. They could let Joe Flacco finish the AFC North Infinity Stones Gauntlet, I suppose, but it’s a grin an bear it season at QB for Pittsburgh anyway you slice it.

RB: Two other aspects of your free agent decisions stand out to me: No Kenneth Gainwell, and James Pierre signing for under $2 million on a one-year deal. What’s your thought process on both?

Right now, the Steelers’ corners under contract for 2026 are: Porter, Ramsey, Trice, Brandin Echols, and 2025 seventh-round pick Donte Kent. Trice’s health can’t be counted on, and Kent is another relative unknown who missed last season with injury. Pierre proved that he could start outside or provide quality depth, and he’s such an ace special teamer that he’s worth bringing back at his suggested market value, which is how I settled on that number. If the Steelers, in reality, have to kick a little more his way, so be it. As you’ll see at the end of my plan, they’ll still have plenty of cap space to work with, and the league limit is likely to go up again in 2027.

As for Gainwell, he’s a good player, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he returned along with Rodgers, who championed for him last season. That said, with Warren already an established veteran on the roster, I’d prefer to see the Steelers give third-round pick Kaleb Johnson a fair shake at being the RB2 and see what they have in that investment. They should also consider drafting or signing a rookie free agent to fill out the rest of the room. With Warren and Gainwell, the Steelers have two smaller backs with pass-catching chops, and I’d prefer the Steelers RB2 and RB3 to be bigger and provide a different skillset from Warren to diversify the roster. Gainwell’s suggested value wouldn’t break the bank (2 years, $5.9m), but he also doesn’t feel like a long-term building block either. Gainwell will turn 27 on March 14. If the Steelers are leaning towards going younger and revamping the roster with youth, I prefer letting him test the market. By the time the Steelers are ready to contend, will he still have the juice he does now? I’m sad to see him go, but I will let another team find that out.

Free Agency

RB: Now it’s time to get to the fun part of his series: adding outside players. What does your 2026 Steelers free agent class look like?

• WR Romeo Doubs to market value (4 yr $48m, $16.3m bonus)
• CB Josh Jobe to market value (3 yr $29.2m, $9.35m bonus)
• S Coby Bryant to market value (2 yr $28.5m, $8.28m bonus)
• S Ashtyn Davis to market value (1 yr $1.8m)
• LB Christian Harris at market value (1 yr, $2.2m, $1m bonus)
• OG Teven Jenkins (2 yr, $4.6m, $1.5m bonus)
• TE John FitzPatrick at market value (1 yr, $1.3M)
• P Tommy Townsend (2 yr, $7m, $2m bonus)

RB: A lot of interesting names there. Let’s start with the biggest signing: What makes Romeo Doubs a good fit for Pittsburgh? Do you think he solves the team’s infamous WR2 problem?

RP: The 2026 free agent class of receivers isn’t all that compelling, if we’re being honest. The top name, George Pickens, is unlikely to return to Pittsburgh with how that relationship ended, plus he’s about to get slapped with the franchise tag.

After Pickens, Tyreek Hill and Mike Evans have the most star power, but I don’t want either of them. Hill has character red flags, and is coming off a brutal leg injury. Not great for a guy over 30 who relies on speed to win. I’ll be shocked if Evans leaves Tampa Bay. Regardless, he’s best in a vertical passing attack, and that isn’t Rodgers at this stage.

Alec Pierce is another interesting name, but he seems repetitive to Metcalf’s skillset as a tall, speedy, vertical threat receiver who doesn’t win as many contested opportunities as you’d hope.

Then there’s a whole tier of veterans who I think have their best days behind them: Deebo Samuel, Christian Kirk, Marquise Brown, Jauan Jennings, DeAndre Hopkins, and Keenan Allen.

That leaves us Doubs. Among the things I like about the pairing:

• Doubs played his rookie year with Aaron Rodgers, totaling 42 receptions for 425 yards and 3 touchdowns. He’s got experience with Rodgers pre-snap signals and audibles, and is experienced enough now that he should be able to avoid Rodgers infamous distrust of younger players.
• Doubs lives in the intermediate areas of the field with an ADoT of 12.1 for his career. He runs a fairly diverse route tree and was often the Packers’ most reliable, albeit least sexy receiver.
• At 6’2 and 204 pounds, he gives the Steelers size at the position they are lacking outside of Metcalf and Ben Skowronek, the latter of whom plays more special teams than receiver.
• Doubs 6.0% drop rate in 2025 was better than Pittsburgh’s top three targeted receivers — Metcalf (9.0%), Calvin Austin (8.1%), and Adam Thielen (12.5%). You read that right. Thielen was the third-most targeted receiver for the Steelers in 2025

Does Doubs “solve” the Steelers WR2 problem? I don’t know that I’d go that far. I think he is a solid, contributing player who will get you 600-900 yards and flirt with double-digit touchdowns if given 70 or more targets. That’s been the case the past three seasons in a crowded Green Bay group that likes to rotate its receivers. That’s more than the Steelers have gotten out of a WR2 in several years now. But if you keep reading, Doubs isn’t my only move at receiver this offseason, and whether he’s WR2 or WR3, his consistent, if unspectacular, production at a relatively low price point is what makes him most appealing.

RB: Two members of the Super Bowl-winning Dark Side defense will also be making the move to Pittsburgh. I love the focus on building an elite secondary. What makes Bryant and Jobe the right fits?

RP: Bryant is a nice combination of versatility and price point. If Spotrac isn’t drastically wrong in their prediction of Bryant and Jobe’s market values, the Steelers get a pair of players who could be in search of new homes due to the number of players on the Seahawks’ Super Bowl-winning defense who are up for contracts. The Steelers’ front office has indicated that they intend to compete every year. Signing contracts like these allows them to field a competitive roster without overcommitting to anyone, which feels important for a roster as in flux as the Steelers could continue be while transitioning to the Mike McCarthy era.

Bryant is a defensive back who can wear multiple hats for Pittsburgh at a cost-effective price. During the Pete Carroll years, Bryant primarily played as a slot corner, though he would dabble in the box and out wide. Once Mike Macdonald arrived, Bryant instead became a primary free safety and box safety, though he hovered around 40-60 snaps in the slot a season. But the main thing that attracts me to Bryant is that he would match the turnover culture the Steelers are constantly preaching on defense to a tee. Over the past two seasons, Byrant has intercepted the ball seven times and forced another three fumbles. In 2025, his ball hawk score — at stat from NFL Next Gen stats that adds the defender’s passes defensed and intercepted together and then divides that by the number of times they were targeted — was 21.9%, which was good enough for 33rd among 224 qualified defensive backs.

Jobe didn’t intercept nearly as many balls (1) in 2025 as Bryant, but he did break up 10 passes, and targets at him generated -8.1 EPA on the season, good for 35th among 224 defensive backs. The average separation on targets of Jobe in 2025 was 2.4 yards, which compares favorably to Porter’s average of 2.3 yards.

Having two suffocating outside corners and an opportunistic safety like Bryant without overextending financially sounds like a decent plan to me.

RB:Finally, of the remaining five names of your free agent class, who is one name that you think could surprise Steelers fans in 2026?

RP: My remaining signings are mostly for depth. Outside of punter Tommy Townsend, Christian Harris is the only one who might have an opportunity start. The former Alabama linebacker was initially a starter in Houston, but fell out of favor and into a reserve role for the Texans the past two years. Harris is long, athletic, and was a three-year starter at Alabama, so you get a sense of what kind of athlete he is. However, despite these traits, he struggled in coverage. He’s a decent enough run defender and efficient rushing the passer. If he only ends up providing depth, that’s fine considering the low price tag.

I’ll throw in a bonus aside that guard Teven Jenkins is a former second-round pick who excels at run blocking, but injuries and some pass protection struggles have made him a player likely to sign short contracts the rest of his career. He provides good depth to a room that could use some high upside swings, considering I’m letting two guards (Seumalo and Max Scharping) walk in Free Agency.

Draft class

RB: Now, with free agency out of the way, what does the Steelers’ 2026 draft class look like?

RP:

1.21 DL Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
2.53 OG Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M
3.76 WR Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee
3.85 LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
3.99 NCB/S Treydan Stukes, Arizona
4.121 DL Chris McClellan, Missouri
4.135 WR Eric McAlister, TCU
5.159 Edge Max Llewellyn, Iowa
6.213 S VJ Payne, Kansas State
6.214 TE Dallen Bentley, Utah
7.224 FB Eli Heidenreich, Navy
7.237 RB Kaelon Black, Indiana

RB: Not goingwide receiver with the first two picks might surprise some, but I love shoring up the trenches in rounds one and two. What do you like the most about Hunter and Bisontis’ games?

RP: A lot to unpack here, so I’ll start with the general philosophy on passing on the wide receivers. For starters, when I used the PFF mock draft simulator, not only were the top three receivers already off the board, but so was Washington receiver Denzel Boston. I have my doubts about whether the receivers will go as high in the first round as the mock draft space would have you believe, but these were the cards I was dealt. I also don’t feel like the receivers are just a wide receiver away from winning a Super Bowl, and there are enough holes in the roster to fill that I thought I could find a starter-quality wideout in the second or third round without trading away any picks.

The Hunter pick goes hand in hand with my decision not to extend Benton. Hunter was one of the best nose tackles in college football this year, and at the Senior Bowl, he measured in at 6’3 and 320 lbs with 34’ arms that produce a 6’9 wingspan. He’s stout against the run, a huge improvement needed in the middle of Pittsburgh’s defensive line. With how explosive he is off the snap, I believe Hunter has more that he can unlock as a pass rusher as he continues to develop. He has violent hands, and I watched him bulldoze opponents repeatedly both on tape and at the Senior Bowl. He was the best player on the board, so I jumped at the chance to take him. I also considered Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane and Georgia linebacker CJ Allen.

As for Bisontis, I committed to drafting one of the top-three guards in the draft when I let Seumalo walk and saw how thin the free agent market would be. I would have been happy with either of Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon or the prospect we ended up with from Texas A&M. Bistonis has plus-technique as a run blocker. He excels as a move blocker in a zone scheme. If the Steelers are going to be searching for a quarterback for a while, I’d like the team’s run blocking to be as nasty as it can be to compensate. Bisontis fits the bill, and I like his field awareness as well.

RB: You are still doubling up on wide receiver with Brazzelland McAlister. How do you think they’ll fill out the wide receiver room in 2026? And with Brazzellbeing a slightly polarizing prospect this draft cycle, what makes you a fan of his game?

RP: Not only am I doubling up on wide receivers, but I’m tripling up on tall, fast receivers for 11-personnel and empty backfield packages by pairing Brazzell (6’5) and McAlister (6’3) with DK Metcalf (6’4). And while Doubs (6’2) isn’t quite as fast (reported 4.47 40-time at his pro day), his skill as a route runner will also keep the pressure off both rookies and allow them to adjust to the NFL.

The “controversy” around Brazzell mostly centers on which school he went to. The Tennessee offense has struggled to translate to the NFL because they exploit field dimensions in college that are different from those at the pro level, and because they don’t ask their receivers to run a complex variety of routes.

While I was never a believer in recent Volunteer prospects like Dont’e Thornton Jr. or Jalin Hyatt, I see Brazzell as a different type of prospect entirely. Hyatt was a one-year wonder in school who moved stiffly and was sub-180 pounds, making his play strength concerns even more of a red flag. Meanwhile, Thornton wasn’t the lead receiver in school and never produced as Brazzell did. I won’t pretend Brazzell is a perfect prospect, but I’m more worried that he won’t actually be available in the third round than I am about him continuing to develop his game. Having Metcalf and Doubs as the Steelers top two receivers gives Brazzell time to do so, and in the meantime, the Steelers can put him in positions to succeed when he does see the field as a rookie.

RB: Switching to defense, how will Rodriguez and Stukes fit into the lineup?

RP: Rodriguez is a popular third-round selection for a lot of teams in mock drafts around the league, but we’re able to snag him this run. I don’t think he’s immune to the typical rookie bumps and bruises adjusting to the league. But he’s a player I could see taking over the green dot by the end of the season, and definitely in year two. For a more in-depth breakdown, check out BTSC’s draft profile on him.

As for Stukes, the 6’2 and 200-pound defensive back is an organizational play at securing the team’s future at the nickel/slot position. In recent years, we have seen the nickel corner role grow in importance. The modern defense needs players who can play in the slot and be equally good against the run when offenses go big with multiple tight ends, but can also lock down those tight ends and agile slot receivers in the passing game. Having players like Nick Emmanwori on the field who allow the defense to stay in base defense in either situation is becoming the new meta of NFL defenses.

Stukes has impressive trigger ability breaking on passes, and he has experience playing all over the defense during his time in college: 2,674 career snap atsafety (503), slot (1,174), and out wide (943). His ball skills are near the top of this class and would continue to build the turnover curlture on the Steeler defense.

While I think Stukes could step in on Day 1, the Steelers have the luxury to give him time to adjust to the NFL while they have Ramsey and Echols still on the roster.

RB: You have the Steelers making all 12 of their projected picks here. Obviously, that means not everyone will make an impact in 2026. Of the remaining picks not previously mentioned, who are the names you could see earning more playing time than expected?

RP: I don’t necessarily want to count all 12 of our proverbial eggs until the NFL officially awards compensatory picks, but we’ve talked all season about the Steelers stocking up on draft picks. We mentioned that while this would allow the Steelers some wiggle room to move around the draft board, it also is an opportunity for them to flush an aging roster with a lot of young — and more importantly, cheap — talent as they navigate some of the financial gambles they’ve taken recently on contracts they’ve handed out.

While it wouldn’t surprise me to see them consolidate a few picks to get a guy they covet, my core draft philosophy still lies in the belief that more picks made equates to a higher probability of finding players who can develop into starters and facilitate a franchise turnaround.

In addition to the picks we’ve already discussed, McClellan, Llewellyn, and Payne are all players I could see providing solid depth, and potentially developing into more. McClellan is a stout gap plugger and pocket collapser.

Llewllyn is criminally underrated in a strong pass-rushing class. Over his final two seasons, he created a pressure — which includes sacks, hits, and hurries — on 15.7% on his pass rush attempts. That’s a slightly higher rate than last year’s fourth-round pick Jack Sawyer (15.1%). His PFF pass rush win-rate (17.1%) is 13th in this class among players ranked in NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus board top-200.

Payne should contribute on special teams right away and could push to be the Steelers’ future box safety. Payne is long, fast (reportedly clocked at 23 mph in college), great in coverage, and both a sound and violent tackler. He was often running with the top group at Senior Bowl practices. He’s another player that I just don’t think the simulators are accounting for how much NFL teams will love his game. I certainly hope I’m wrong if that means the Steelers can still nab him on Day 3.

Roster

Here is how the roster would shape up heading into the summer. This will not be trimmed down to 53 because that doesn’t happen until the end of the summer.

*New additions bolded

Offense

QB: Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard
RB: Jaylen Warren, Kaleb Johnson, Kaelon Black
FB: Eli Heidenreich
WR: DK Metcalf, Romeo Doubs, Chris Brazzell II, Eric McAlister, Roman Wilson, Ben Skowronek
TE: Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, John FitzPatrick, Dallen Bentley
OT: Troy Fautanu, Broderick Jones, Dylan Cook, Calvin Anderson
OG: Mason McCormick, Chase Bisontis, Spencer Anderson, Teven Jenkins, Andrus Peat
C: Zach Frazier, Ryan McCollum

Defense

DL: Cam Heyward, Derrick Harmon, Keeanu Benton, Lee Hunter, Yahya Black, Esezi Otomewo, Chris McClellan, Logan Lee
EDGE: T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer, Max Llewellyn
LB: Payton Wilson, Jacob Rodriguez,Christian Harris, Malik Harrison, Carson Bruener
CB: Joey Porter Jr., Josh Jobe, James Pierre, Brandin Echols, Cory Trice Jr.
NCB: Jalen Ramsey, Treydan Stukes, Donte Kent
S: DeShon Elliott, Coby Bryant, Ashtyn Davis, VJ Payne, Sebastian Castro

Specialty

K: Chris Boswell
P: Tommy Townsend
LS: Christian Kuntz

Remaining capspace: $31.4m

RB: And now, the wrap-up questions. How far do you see this team going in 2026? What are the reasons you’d earn a GM extension? What shortcomings could unleash the wrath of BTSC on this article?

RP: The downside to my plan is that the Steelers don’t have an answer at quarterback, but I think any GM would be hard-pressed to do so with the hand the Steelers have been dealt. If I miss on the receivers, I’ll also get chewed out, but given that the top four wideouts were already off the board, the only real argument against my plan is trading up or taking a player like Omar Cooper Jr. earlier than his current projection (pick 42).

If I get an extension, it’s because by keeping all of Pittsburgh’s picks and nailing my draft evaluations, the Steelers end up with three or more Year 1 starters, and a handful of players who could develop into starters by Year 2 or Year 3. I could also get credit for spending shrewdly in an underwhelming free agency class, while also locking up Porter Jr. and Herbig as core pieces of our defense moving forward.

What’s this team’s potential in 2026? I see it as about what it has been. Until the quarterback problem is solved, this roster remains talented enough to earn a Wild Card berth, but it is not a serious title contender. Their floor is a 10 or 11-loss season if injuries are rampant and/or the quarterback play nosedives further.

And there you have it: Read & React’s first offseasonblueprint for the 2026 season. Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and if you need some prompts, check out the questions below:

1. What are your thoughts on Ryan’s plan at quarterback? Is another year of Aaron Rodgers the best option in a rough offseason to find a new signal-caller?
2. Did any of Ryan’s cuts, extensions, or re-signings catch you by surprise?
3. What’s your favorite and least favorite free agent signing?
4. How would you grade Ryan’s draft?
5. What are your thoughts on the overall plan? If Omar Khan made these exact moves, would you be excited, angry, or indifferent?

Join in on Steelers R&R by sharing your takes on this week’s topics. Feel free to pitch future questions in the comment section or on Twitter/X: tag @_Ryland_B or @RyanParishMedia, or email us at [email protected].