Eagles & Steelers-only Mock Draft 1.0
Another NFL season may have just ended, but the countdown to my favorite overhyped sporting event begins. That overhyped sporting event is none other than the NFL Draft. Every April, after two and a half months of no football on our screens to distract us from Sunday scaries, the games don’t technically return, but we, the red-blooded-American-incredibly-susceptible-to-gambling-addiction-presented-by-DraftKings-football-loving junkies, receive a small fix in the form of the NFL Draft.
During the draft, there’s nothing I enjoy more than observing what the Eagles and Steelers decide to do with their picks. Not only is this due to fandom or geographical bias, but these two teams always keep me on my toes with their selections. However, I think I have a fairly good idea of the type of player each team will select in the first three rounds of this year’s draft. Now, Steelers fans may be wondering, “Ev Dog, what do you know about the Steelers?” With many friends and family in my life bleeding black and gold, I have consumed thousands of hours of Steelers content over the years. Plus, as someone who lived in Allegheny County at one point in his life, once a Yinzer, always a Yinzer!
Guidelines:
This will be the first of three versions. I’ll make an updated version after free agency in late March and another one right before the draft in April. It shouldn’t affect the selections too much, but with all the moving parts in an NFL offseason, you never know.
These prospects are based off a blend of multiple rankings that may not have been updated for months. Overall, there won’t be much analysis regarding their particular play in college or how they will directly project at a professional level.
Barring any pre-draft trades, these mock drafts will only be three rounds. Both teams already have at least four picks each in these first few rounds, so I think that will be sufficient enough to cover each team’s drafting philosophy.
Speaking of trades, there will be no trades. I am just placing them in their current selection order.
General Draft Philosophy Predictions:
Steelers:
I’m going to go out on a limb and guess Pittsburgh avoids their most pressing need of a long-term QB and elects to ride it out with Rodgers for another year. Maybe the guy they grab in the 5th round will develop this time or at least beat out Will Howard for the third QB spot.
Perhaps with a new coach in charge, the Steelers might finally make the long overdue and necessary changes to its roster. However, with the same GM, Omar Khan, still building the roster, I have my doubts that it can get better than 10-7.
Eagles:
Philadelphia and GM Howie Roseman have been tougher to predict with their recent bucking of trends in both free agency and the draft. However, I think they’ll continue the trend of picks that frustrate their fans as they opt for the best player available over obvious needs like OL, CB, TE, and Edge. Maybe later in the draft, they’ll select a raw player at one of these positions that needs a couple years to develop just to become playable as a solid backup.
Philly always makes some substantial, unexpected transaction so future versions of this mock draft may need to reflect whatever that big change ends up becoming.
Get off the phone Lucy!!! He’ll acquire your ball for only a 6th-round pick!
Round 1
Steelers #21: Brandon Cisse – CB South Carolina
The Steelers find their inconsistent #2 corner of the future. He’ll have an awesome tackle for loss on first down and commit an unnecessary holding play on second down. Just imagine, it’s Week 15 in a vital game against the Bengals and the Steelers have a small lead with one minute remaining. Cisse seals the game and gets the best of Burrow as he flexes his athleticism with a picturesque interception where he outduels Ja’Marr Chase in a play that would be worthy of being painted and hung on the walls surrounding Steeler fans’ exposed Pittsburgh basement toilets. The next week against the Browns, he gives up a couple of huge plays that lead to an upset win for Cleveland. I can already see the Reddit threads, group messages, and Pittsburgh Dad videos calling him out. “Of course, it was that bum Cisse. McCarthy needs to bench him already!”
Eagles #23: Peter Woods – Defensive Interior Clemson
I was tempted to go with another defensive back out of Toledo here, but instead I am going to go with a guy ranked on many boards either in the top ten or mid-teens falling into the Eagles lap. I’ll bet the top tight end, Kenyon Sadiq, and the top offensive tackles are off the board by this pick, so Eagles fans can justify it slightly. However, fans of the Birds would rather have gone with another weapon on offense with a wide receiver, especially in case the AJ Brown drama reaches a boiling point, or an edge to bolster the pass rush. I imagine those preferred players drafted after the new Eagle would have a better first year than Woods, who shows flashes but struggles in passing situations during his rookie campaign. However, in his sophomore season, he finds his stride and develops into a quality starter. This pick may feel redundant with Jordan Davis on the team and plugging up the middle on first down, but Howie loves to draft the best player available whenever he can.
Round 2
Steelers #53: Zachariah Branch – WR Georgia
In the two decades I’ve watched the draft, nothing impresses me more about a team’s scouting department than the Steeler’s perennial ability to find talent at wide receiver on Day 2 of the draft. If the Steelers select Branch, they’ll be adding a stud in the slot. Not to mention, Ward and Pickens were the last two UGA wide receivers drafted by the Steelers, so they have a good track record with selecting bulldogs.
I can instantly see Branch hauling in 60+ catches and producing over 900 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons. He’ll be a fan favorite for the non-hardcore Steeler fans and many will buy and sport his jersey at tailgates across the Burgh a decade after his last game with the team. Things will go well until a moderate injury in his fourth season impacts his playtime and demeanor. The organization decides to trade him for a Day 2 pick that turns into their next great diva wide receiver as the cycle continues. However, this could be a Tomlin issue and maybe with McCarthy, he’ll end up more like a Green Bay second round receiver like Randall Cobb or Jordy Nelson.
Eagles #54: Chris Bell – WR Louisville
I’m not predicting an AJ Brown trade here yet, but I think this is another prospect that slides down the draft. The reason for the fall is the fact that he is still recovering from a torn ACL. It works out in the Eagles advantage as Howie is addicted to taking a first round talent with a serious injury history in the second round. If all three wideouts are still on the roster in October when Bell would likely return to action, I could see Brown and DeVonta Smith utilized more frequently in the slot. I wouldn’t even be shocked if Bell is shelved for most of the season as they let his ligament fully recover.
The Steelers need to add an absolute unit like Buddy if they want to shore up their line in 2026.
Round 3
Eagles #68: Trinidad Chambliss – QB Ole Miss
This is the boldest of my predictions on this list. As backup quarterback and holder of one of my favorite nicknames in today’s NFL, Tanner McKee, a.k.a. The Mormon Missile, enters his last year under contract with the Birds, I am going to predict the Eagles start working on the development of their next backup QB. While Hurts was available to play in every game last year, he typically misses a game or two near the tail end of the season. This requires the Eagles to develop and retain competent backup quarterback play. Chambliss is one of those elite college playmaker types that often struggle to adapt their skills to the next level, however, the Eagles new Offensive Coordinator, Sean Mannion, was a part of the reason Malik Willis looked as good he did for the Packers last year, so maybe Chambliss can be the next great Philly backup with his coaching.
Steelers #76: Sam Hecht – IOL Kansas State
I feel like the Steelers always need offensive line depth, so I threw a dart at a list of interior linemen and landed on Hecht’s name. I think Steeler Nation will appreciate his hardworking background that saw him develop from a no-star high school recruit into a Day 2 pick. I could see him entering a game in his rookie season as he replaces a starter struggling with an injury and playing decently for a 3rd round rookie in his first NFL action. However, I also imagine that one day he’ll turn into a league average starter that Steelers fan expect more out of as the Pittsburgh running game continues to struggle.
Steelers #85: Emmett Johnson – RB Nebraska
This pick may feel redundant, but if you draft a running back from a Midwest Big Ten school with the last name Johnson in the third round and it doesn’t work out for you, why not try again? Woof, Kaleb Johnson had a rough season when he actually was on the field. Plus, I believe Super Bowl Champion running back Kenny Gainwell will be a priority for the Steelers this offseason as they’ll work tirelessly to re-sign him after a productive 2025 season and as a way to gain favor with Rodgers who had a budding on-the-field bromance with Kenny G last season. Jaylen Warren will also return after signing a contract in the fall of 2025, but with running back being such a capricious position for each team year to year, I’d expect the Steelers to always have a contingency plan for their top two running backs.
Eagles #98: Nadame Tucker – Edge Western Michigan
Again, I can see a position of need with a good safety or tight end prospect still being on the board, but the Eagles instead pick a raw defensive end with upside that recently soared up the pre-draft rankings after exhibiting his athleticism at his pro day and team workouts. The Eagles will need more consistent pressure from their pass rushers in 2026. Tucker wouldn’t give them that in year 1.
Steelers #99: Ted Hurst – WR Georgia State
The Steelers need as many pass catchers as they can get, so how about another wide receiver from a university in the Peach State. Plus, the Steelers have been successful in the past with discovering hidden gem wide receivers from smaller programs. Hurst could end up being the guy with the production that I predicted for Branch, while Zachariah instead ends up just earning Pittsburgh’s gimmicky gadget punt returner role that scores once or twice a season but never finds offensive consistency.