Steelers' First NFL Draft Without Mike Tomlin Was Hard to Watch

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers 2026 NFL Draft was disappointing to say the least.

The excitement in Pittsburgh heading into the NFL Draft was never higher. The sun seemed to shine brighter, the people seemed to smile bigger, and the optimism was vibrating from person to person. That was, until the 21st pick in the first round.

The disappointment of the Steelers' NFL Draft started immediately. After a video emerged of Omar Khan speaking with USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, telling him they were going to draft him, only for Lemon to respond, "Why is Philly calling me?" everyone became critics.

Here is the moment Makai Lemon thought he was getting drafted by #Steelers and realizing in real time that the #Eagles traded up, via @gmfb this morning.

He asked Omar Khan "Why is Philly calling [me]?" pic.twitter.com/AbXDJONYye
— Ross McCorkle (@Ross_McCorkle) April 24, 2026

Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor became the consolation prize. The right tackle is considered a developmental piece with a ton of upside, but is only viewed as a right-side player and not someone a team should expect to walk into his rookie season and start.

Pittsburgh has a right tackle named Troy Fautanu. So, now they're moving him? And are they moving him this season or letting him play one more at right tackle before switching sides?

Day 1 ended the drafted ended with questions, to say the least.

Things Got Better for a Moment

Day 2 got better, but it wasn't perfect. Germie Bernard made up for the miss of Makai Lemon. The Alabama wide receiver may have been the biggest sleeper in the NFL Draft, and Pittsburgh being able to move up and draft him at No. 47 may end up being a steal.

It was a much-needed positive after a tough opening night.

Then, it got weird again. Drew Allar became the Steelers' rookie quarterback to compete with Will Howard. The Penn State passer was a second-round pick a year ago, but now could've gone anywhere from the third round to the fifth round. Pittsburgh selected him in the third at No. 76.

Maybe Allar turns out to be the best quarterback in the draft. He has that type of upside. But he's got the downside of a player who never makes it in the NFL. He was never able to win in big games and has a lot of development in front of him if he's going to work out.

Pittsburgh believes they can sculpt him into a star, though.

Oct 11, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) looks to throw a pass during the first quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

If Bernard and Allar were good(?) picks, Daylon Everrette probably wasn't. A good prospect, but one that could've been there late. A theme that carried throughout the rest of the draft.

His 4.3 speed and ball-hawking ability is exciting. Don't get it wrong, he's got upside, but there were players like Keonte Scott and Malik Muhammad still available that may have been a better pick.

They ended it with Gennings Dunker, who honestly is a great pick. Everyone should be excited about what the Iowa tackle-turning-guard can do with some more development.

Day Three Got Worse

The Steelers started Day 3 of the NFL Draft by drafting a kick returner and a tight end/fullback. Not the best upside picks in the fourth and fifth rounds, but apparently, Khan believes the needs there were higher than going after higher potential picks like Skyler Bell, Mike Washington, Kyle Louis, or even Harold Perkins Jr., all of whom were available during their selections of Kaden Wetjen and Riley Nowakoski.

Now, each of these picks by themselves are good selections, at the right pick. Wetjen probably could've been a seventh-rounder and no one would've batted an eye. In fact, people would be thrilled to get an All-American returner that late.

As a fourth-round pick, he's the biggest reach of the draft. He even admitted that only the Steelers met with him formally at the NFL Combine and was golfing when the Steelers called because he didn't expect to be drafted that early.

If they never drafted Wetjen in the fourth, drafting Nowakoski in the fifth would've been great. But they needed to bounce back from a strange start to the day, and it leaves the final two bigger picks without any real spark for the fans.

If This Was Omar Khan's First Real Draft

Oct 16, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan looks on during warmups before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

The conversation about the Steelers the moment Mike Tomlin stepped down was that Omar Khan was getting his first real opportunity to put a team together. That Tomlin directed Khan on who to sign and what direction to go in the NFL Draft, and now, Khan would get to control all of that.

His free agency was impressive. Jaquan Brisker could be considered a steal, Jamel Dean is a sound pickup and trading for Michael Pittman Jr. was a great move.

The NFL Draft was different.

From start to finish it just felt scrambled. Like the Steelers wanted certain positions and didn't think about when they should draft that position but rather making sure they checked off the box before everything was said and done.

It led to some very questionable decisions. Ones that make you question Khan's ability as a drafter if he is now in control of what happens during the three-day period.

Maybe the Makai Lemon incident to start things messed everything up. Maybe we're all wrong and this draft class will turn out to be great. But leaving UPMC Rooney Sports Complex after the 2026 NFL Draft, there's a lot of skepticism about what the Steelers pulled off this weekend, and whether or not it made this team better.

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