Steelers Could Have 2026 NFL Draft Plans Spoiled After Devastating Recent Development

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to need to have a good draft in 2026 in order to get out of the current rut that the franchise finds itself in. The team has still been competitive in recent years as it has been able to win more games than it loses, but it has not really had any chance of competing in the AFC. Pittsburgh has gone nearly a decade without winning a playoff game, and the fan base is growing increasingly frustrated by the drought. The organization needs to find its next franchise quarterback, and all eyes are set on the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Steelers have not found themselves in position to select a high-profile quarterback in recent drafts. The organization refuses to tank, and it is hard to find a franchise quarterback if a team is not picking near the top of the first round. Another way Pittsburgh could move up is by trading up in the draft, which could be done by dealing first-round picks, as well as picks in later rounds of the event. Currently, the Steelers have all of their own picks, as well as an additional third-round selection from the Dallas Cowboys due to the organization trading George Pickens.

In addition to all of those picks, the Steelers are also lined up to receive some compensatory draft picks. The selections will not be known until the 2026 offseason, but these picks are eligible to be traded as well as soon as the organization receives them. A team receives compensatory draft picks by losing free agents the season prior and those players signing lucrative deals elsewhere. The pick improves the more the player plays during that season for their new team.

One player that the Steelers will be eligible to receive a compensatory selection for is quarterback Russell Wilson, who signed a one-year, $10.5 million deal with the New York Giants. This could earn an additional pick for Pittsburgh in the 2026 NFL Draft, but where that pick will fall depends on how much Wilson plays for New York. He entered the 2025 season as the starting quarterback for the Giants, but he has already been benched after three games.