Steelers Biggest Remaining Needs After NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers, despite the Makai Lemon debacle in the first round, emerged from the 2026 NFL Draft with an impressive crop of young talent.

From first-round Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor to Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard in the second and Iowa offensive guard Gennings Dunker in the third, the Steelers patched up a lot of the holes remaining on their roster after free agency.

It's impossible to address every need through the draft, though, and Pittsburgh still has three position groups in need of reinforcements, particularly when looking towards the future.

Dec 7, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen (6) reacts after a defensive stop against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Inside Linebacker

Of the Steelers' top needs heading into the draft, inside linebacker is the only one that went completely unanswered.

The group is in a fine spot for the 2026 campaign with Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson set to run it back as the starting tandem for the third year in a row while Malik Harrison and Cole Holcomb back them up.

Long-term, though, there are a healthy amount of questions. Queen, who is entering the final year of his deal, has been inconsistent throughout his entire tenure in Pittsburgh and led the league in missed tackles with 32 in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus.

Harrison is also set to reach free agency next offseason, meaning Wilson, Holcomb and Carson Bruener are the only linebackers under contract for the 2027 campaign.

Wilson and Holcomb will be in the last years of their own contracts then, however, so adding a rookie who could've rotated into the game in certain packages and helped out on special teams before having the chance to emerge as a starter a year or two down the line would've made ton of sense.

A veteran addition isn't really necessary at this stage, though, unless a Queen trade is still in the cards.

Safety

Much like was the case with inside linebacker, Pittsburgh's need at safety is more of an issue for the future than it is in 2026.

The organization got a bargain in free agency for Jaquan Brisker with a one-year, $5.5 million deal, and DeShon Elliott should be good to go after playing in only five games last season due to knee injuries.

Jalen Ramsey, who spent the back-half of the 2025 season at the position, is expected to see some time there as a versatile chess piece in Patrick Graham's defense as well.

Darnell Savage hasn't yet officially signed his reported one-year agreement with the Steelers, but all signs point towards him eventually joining the roster.

Because Brisker and Savage will reenter free agency next offseason, Elliott's deal runs out after the 2027 season and Jalen Ramsey has no guaranteed money on his contract after 2026 while already being 31-years-old, Pittsburgh's only current long-term options are Sebastian Castro and seventh-round pick Robert Spears-Jennings.

Castro will become an exclusive rights free agent next spring too, which would help the Steelers keep him around if they so choose, but it's not like he's under team control for the foreseeable future.

Both he and Spears-Jennings profile as special teams contributors with some developmental upside as current backups anyways, so Pittsburgh still has a pretty big hole at safety when looking a few years into the future.

Aug 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (99) is introduced for a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Interior of the Defense Line

The Steelers have a stout group of interior defensive linemen for the 2026 season, including Cam Heyward, Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon and Sebastian Joseph-Day.

As was the case with the other two position groups, however, there could be a lot of turnover ahead of the 2027 campaign.

Heyward is under contract for two more years, but he doesn't have any guaranteed salary in 2027, and retirement would appear to be very much in consideration for the franchise legend after 2026.

Benton's rookie deal will expire after this upcoming season, and Joseph-Day isn't necessarily a lock to be on the 2027 roster at 32-years-old considering Pittsburgh would save $5 million by cutting or trading him, per Over the Cap.

Harmon is undoubtedly a long-term piece, and the Steelers hope the likes of Yahya Black and sixth-round pick Gabriel Rubio can fill roles as rotational run defenders with a chance to grow into something more than that, but there's a clear need for another starting-caliber player in the trenches moving forward.

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