Black & Yellow | Pittsburgh Steelers M26

[redsox907]

Lawry is going to season em

that's a good one - I didn't think of that

got another nickname angle he gonna lean into too

[Soapy]

Guess you are playing another couple seasons

that's why i don't love the move

You just gave up a chance to get a future star in exchange for likely a decent player (12th), some shots in the dark in this year's draft and then probably a low pick in 2030 since the Ravens are probably gonna be good

[redsox907]

Guess you are playing another couple seasons

that's why i don't love the move

You just gave up a chance to get a future star in exchange for likely a decent player (12th), some shots in the dark in this year's draft and then probably a low pick in 2030 since the Ravens are probably gonna be good

if Jenkins would have fallen, I was taking him. Gardnier was graded as a fringe 1-2 pick during scouting and Rogan had the same grade with better combine results, so I took a chance he would be available later since he wasn't in the final mock.

if I wouldn't have found a good deal, I was going to take one of the other LTs. Seri had the highest bench press of the offensive lineman and was middle of the pack in speed, plus he had a storyline during the season (i forget what it was, I just made a note of it on the comp lol)

also, it's worth noting. Looking at the final results, Gardnier was rated a 75 OVR and Rogan is a 74

[redsox907]

Pittsburgh Keeps Filling Needs On Final Day of 2028 NFL Draft

New York, NY. - Every draft has its peaks and valleys, and Pittsburgh's Day 3 was no exception—a mixed bag of hometown sentimentality, questionable reaches, a savvy under-the-radar addition with a personal endorsement attached, and a potential late-round steal that had scouts buzzing by the time the draft concluded Saturday evening.

R4, Pick 12 — WR Jared Hutson, Pittsburgh

The Steelers stayed home with their first fourth-round selection, tabbing Pittsburgh wide receiver Jared Hutson in a pick that generated as much local excitement as it did analytical skepticism.

"The hometown angle is a great story and the speed is very real," Kiper said during coverage. "Hutson has the straight-line acceleration to threaten defenses vertically and stress safeties over the top. The concerns are legitimate though—his route running is inconsistent at best, and his ability to adjust to contested or off-target throws remains a question mark at this level. For what Pittsburgh needed at the position, this feels like a reach at the top of the fourth. The upside exists, but so does the developmental timeline."

R4, Pick 14 — LB Hugh Brooks, UL Lafayette

Back-to-back fourth round picks, back-to-back raised eyebrows.

Brooks arrives with a combine résumé that turns heads—his 40 time and bench press numbers rated among the upper tier for linebackers at this year's event—but analysts were quick to note the disconnect between the measurables and what actually shows up on tape.

"Hugh Brooks is a combine warrior, and there is nothing wrong with that as a starting point," McShay said carefully. "The athleticism is genuine and the motor is evident. The problem is that when you pull up the UL Lafayette film, the coverage instincts and processing speed don't match what the stopwatch told you. He is a pass coverage linebacker in projection more than in practice right now. Back-to-back reaches in the fourth round after what had been a remarkably disciplined draft—Pittsburgh's fans have every right to scratch their heads at this one."

R5, Pick 12 — G Jonathan Campbell, Louisville

Khan more than atoned for the fourth round with one of the more quietly clever selections of the entire draft—and one that came with a personal recommendation attached.

Louisville guard Jonathan Campbell arrives in Pittsburgh with a unique distinction. When the Steelers acquired Leonard Lawry from Minnesota on Friday, they apparently also gained an inside scouting report. Sources confirmed that Lawry—who spent three seasons blocking alongside Campbell at Louisville—was consulted directly by the organization about his former teammate before the pick was made.

"Leonard vouched for him without hesitation," one source told ESPN. "That kind of endorsement from a player who lined up next to him for three years carries real weight."

The football case stands on its own as well. Campbell is a refined pass protector whose technique in the pocket already projects as NFL-ready—a trait that takes many guards years to develop and immediately makes him an asset in a system built to protect the quarterback. The run blocking needs development, particularly heading into Pittsburgh's ground-heavy offensive philosophy, but the foundation is there.

"Pass protection specialists with this level of technical polish don't last to the fifth round very often," McShay noted. "The run game will come with time and NFL coaching. As a developmental piece behind Cam Gray and Cayden Green, this is outstanding value."

R6, Pick 10 — CB Derek Snell, Texas Tech

Pittsburgh addressed their cornerback depth in the sixth round with Texas Tech's Derek Snell—a project with an intriguing physical profile and enough raw ability to justify the low-risk investment.

"Snell has the size template you covet in a press man corner at six feet even," Kiper said. "He is a fundamentally sound technician when he is in position—when he has a receiver where he wants him, he is difficult to beat. The limitations are technique refinement and top-end speed, which prevents him from recovering when he gets caught out of position. Right now he is a projection, but the size, instincts, and competitive temperament give Pittsburgh something to work with. A classic late-round developmental corner."

R7, Pick 12 — MLB Landon Mackey, Penn State

Pittsburgh saved its best for last.

Penn State middle linebacker Landon Mackey—a preseason All-American whose senior year was derailed by a significant knee injury that caused him to tumble out of consideration entirely for most franchises—landed in Pittsburgh's lap at the seventh round, and scouts around the league were quick to suggest the Steelers may have just found the steal of the entire draft.

"Landon Mackey just looks like a Penn State linebacker," McShay said, barely concealing his enthusiasm. "Six-four, 228 pounds, with the physicality to hold his ground against NFL tight ends and the lateral range to work sideline to sideline without losing a step. Before the knee, there were legitimate first and second round conversations happening around this kid. The injury scared everyone off, and Pittsburgh clearly had their medical staff green light him before making this call."

The knee is the only question. The talent has never been in doubt.

"If Mackey is fully healed—and the Steelers apparently believe he is—this could be the most valuable pick in this entire class regardless of round," McShay added. "A former All-American middle linebacker with ideal size and athleticism falling to the seventh round because of an injury that the team's doctors cleared? That is the definition of a steal."


Pittsburgh Steelers Full 2029 NFL Draft

Round	Pick	Position	Player	School	Overall	Dev Trait
1	10	T	Steven Seri	Iowa State	78	Hidden
1	30	EDGE	Cole Rogan	Miami	74	Hidden
2	10	HB	Juan Steward	Tennessee	75	Hidden
2	30	FS	Sal Stanley	Arkansas	72	Normal
3	2	MLB	Zach DeVine	Virginia Tech	69	Hidden
3	12	G	Denard Boston	Washington State	74	Hidden
3	30	DT	Tony Chavez	Clemson	73	Normal
4	12	WR	Jared Hutson	Pittsburgh	69	Normal
4	14	LB	Hugh Brooks	UL Lafayette	63	Normal
5	12	G	Jonathan Campbell	Louisville	72	Hidden
6	10	CB	Derek Snell	Texas Tech	67	Normal
7	12	MLB	Landon Mackey	Penn State	68	Hidden

[redsox907]

Pittsburgh Signs 11 UDFA Following Draft

Pittsburgh, PA. -The Pittsburgh Steelers wasted little time filling out their 90-man roster in the aftermath of the 2029 NFL Draft, announcing agreements with eleven undrafted free agents and signing veteran quarterback Daniel Jones on Monday.

Jones, 32, gives Pittsburgh an experienced insurance option behind Jaxson Dart and Leonard Lawry as the three-man quarterback competition takes shape heading into training camp. A former first-round pick who has spent the better part of a decade navigating injuries and roster uncertainty, Jones brings familiarity with NFL systems and the kind of veteran presence that a quarterback room featuring two young, unproven signal callers could benefit from.

The full list of undrafted free agent signings spans every level of the roster — running backs Ashton McCree of Delaware State and Bo Lacey of Hawaii add depth behind Quinshon Judkins and Juan Steward in the backfield. Wide receiver Silas Person out of New Mexico and tight end Sergio Felix from Temple provide additional depth at their respective skill positions. Offensive linemen William Quintana, a center from Georgia, and tackle Wyatt Martin from Texas A&M round out the front five additions.

On the defensive side, Florida edge rusher Riley Kent, Stanford defensive tackle Mike Sykes, and Oklahoma defensive tackle Elijah Hutson give Pittsburgh additional bodies along a defensive line that figures to be one of the most competitive position groups in camp. Oregon cornerback Wayne Wakefield adds to an already crowded secondary depth chart, while Auburn kicker Toby Mason is expected to push Brandon Aubrey for the starting job—or at minimum provide legitimate competition that keeps the veteran sharp heading into the season.

[redsox907]

Behind the Scenes of Steelers Draft Day Chess Match

Pittsburgh, PA. - On the morning of the 2029 NFL Draft, Omar Khan sat in a war room that looked nothing like the chaos playing out on television.

There were no panicked phone calls. No last-minute scrambles. No whiteboard sessions debating whether to reach for a quarterback the organization had privately decided weeks ago it did not want. The Pittsburgh Steelers general manager had spent months constructing a draft-day framework so layered and contingency-driven that what appeared to the outside world as a series of spontaneous, occasionally baffling decisions was, in reality, a plan executing almost exactly as designed.

Almost.

This is the story of how Pittsburgh's 2029 NFL Draft actually unfolded; told through the conversations, decisions, and near-misses that never made it onto the ESPN broadcast.

The Quarterback Myth

Let's start with the assumption that drove most of the pre-draft coverage surrounding the Steelers: that Pittsburgh desperately needed to use one of its two top-ten picks on a quarterback.

It was never happening.

Sources with direct knowledge of Pittsburgh's draft board confirmed to The Athletic that the Steelers had no intention of selecting either Washington's Gavin Johnson or Georgia Tech's Clayton Owens with a first-round pick. The scouting department's internal evaluation of both players aligned closely with the most skeptical public assessments—neither graded as a franchise-caliber quarterback, and Khan had no interest in spending premium capital on a player who might, at best, be a competent placeholder.

"Pittsburgh was never sold on either of them," one source told The Athletic. "The whole narrative about them desperately needing a quarterback in the first round assumed they thought those guys were the answer. They didn't."

The quarterback Khan actually wanted was BYU's Andrew Schafer—the under-the-radar prospect with the live arm and raw upside that scouts had been quietly buzzing about for months. But Schafer was a Day 3 projection, and Pittsburgh's preferred path to solving the quarterback question was never the draft board at all. It was the trade market.

Khan had identified two targets. The first was Leonard Lawry, Minnesota's second-year quarterback whose pre-draft slide out of the first round— driven by character concerns that Pittsburgh's research had largely debunked—made him a compelling acquisition target at a fraction of the cost of a top pick. The second was Miami Dolphins quarterback Rayshaun Davis, the rookie sensation whose 2028 campaign had turned heads across the league. The Dolphins, however, were deeply reluctant to move Davis given Tua Tagovailoa's lengthy injury history and their understandable desire to keep a capable, proven backup in the building. That door never fully opened.

With Davis unavailable, Lawry became the primary focus. Pittsburgh opened quiet dialogue with Minnesota well before draft weekend, laying the groundwork for an acquisition that would ultimately define their entire approach to the three-day event.

The Phone Call That Changed Everything

Pittsburgh entered draft night holding the second overall pick—acquired from the Seattle Seahawks in last year's draft—and had exactly one player they would have selected with it: Oregon defensive tackle Zach Jenkins, the consensus top prospect in the class, in the event the Tennessee Titans somehow passed on him at first overall.

They didn't. The Titans took Jenkins without hesitation, and Pittsburgh's interest in the second pick effectively evaporated the moment Goodell walked to the podium.

What followed was a negotiation on two fronts simultaneously.

The Las Vegas Raiders had been in discussions with Pittsburgh for weeks about the second pick, offering their own 17th overall selection, first-round picks in 2030 and 2031, and a fourth-round pick in the current draft. It was a substantial offer—three first-round picks in exchange for moving up fifteen spots—and Khan had the framework of an agreement in place heading into draft night.

Then Baltimore called.

The Ravens, locked onto USF defensive end Steven Gardiner, came to Khan with an offer that was structurally different from Las Vegas' in one critical way: immediate ammunition. Baltimore's package—the 12th overall pick, four additional selections in the current draft, and a 2030 first rounder—gave Pittsburgh five more picks to work with in the next 48 hours rather than future capital spread across two years.

The distinction mattered enormously, because Khan already knew what he was going to do with those picks.

"Pittsburgh was already deep in talks with Minnesota about Lawry," one source explained. "They needed current picks to make that deal work. Baltimore gave them that. The Raiders deal was better on paper in terms of long-term value. But the Ravens deal fit the actual plan."

The decision took less time than the broadcast made it appear. Khan took Baltimore's offer, the Ravens raced to the podium to grab Gardiner, and the Steelers settled in for a night of chess.

The Target at Ten

With their own tenth overall pick, Pittsburgh had clarity long before draft night arrived.

Iowa State offensive tackle Steven Seri had been the target regardless of what else happened. Sources say that even in the scenario where Pittsburgh made no trades at all and held both the second and tenth overall picks they would have taken Texas' Bobby Roth or Arkansas' Bernie Cheeks, then selected Seri if he was available.

Seri's appeal was straightforward and very Pittsburgh—a physically dominant, technically sound tackle with the temperament and work ethic the organization prizes above almost everything else. The fit alongside Fautanu and the long-term offensive line planning made him an easy call.

The pick took forty-five seconds to submit.

The Near-Miss at Twelve

Pittsburgh's plan at twelfth overall was considerably less clean.

The internal target was Wisconsin defensive tackle Brad MacDonald—a prospect the Steelers had assigned a first-round grade to and fully expected to be available when Kansas City picked one spot ahead of them at eleventh. The Chiefs took MacDonald, and Khan found himself in a position he had not fully anticipated: needing to find an alternative with the clock running.

The fallback was Cole Rogan, the Miami defensive end who represented Pittsburgh's only other first-round grade among defensive linemen. The problem was that Khan had already taken Detroit's call about trading back—an offer that would net Pittsburgh three additional picks in exchange for moving from twelfth all the way back to 30. Rogan was good enough, in the Steelers estimation, to justify the twelfth pick, but was he good enough to justify passing on three picks?

Khan made the calculation quickly. He believed Rogan would be available at thirty. He took Detroit's offer, traded back, and spent the remainder of the first round hoping he was right.

He was. Rogan was still on the board at thirty.

"It was a gamble," one source acknowledged. "Omar knew it was a gamble. But he had a read on how the board was falling and he trusted it."

The Lawry Deal: What Actually Happened

The public narrative around the Leonard Lawry trade suggested Pittsburgh waited until Steven Wimbley was off the board before pulling the trigger, a reading of the situation that implied the Steelers were monitoring the second round's opening pick before committing to a deal.

The reality was nearly the opposite.

Pittsburgh had a deal with Minnesota in place before Day 2 began. The structure of that deal, however, had a variable built into it—one tied directly to whether Wimbley was available when the Steelers picked tenth-overall in the second round.

Minnesota, sitting on a Lawry they no longer needed with J.J. McCarthy locked up on a four-year extension, was willing to move the young quarterback. But the price depended entirely on their ability to replace him. If Wimbley was still on the board when Pittsburgh's tenth pick arrived, the Vikings could acquire him as a ready-made McCarthy insurance policy—and the Lawry deal would have cost Pittsburgh a second-round pick, a 2030 fourth, and safety Mac Kopp. A palatable price.

The moment Tennessee called Wimbley's name to open the second round, Minnesota's calculus shifted entirely. Without the security blanket of a replacement quarterback waiting at tenth overall, the Vikings pushed for more compensation before parting with Lawry. The asking price increased by one third-round pick—a selection Minnesota used to draft Fresno State quarterback Ashton Peerman later in the weekend.

'Minnesota needed to know they weren't left exposed at the position,' one source explained. 'Once Wimbley was gone, they had no fallback. Pittsburgh paid the premium for that.'

Whether the extra third-round pick was worth the premium will be a storyline worth revisiting in a few years.

The Cunningham Collapse

If there is a single moment that best illustrates the unpredictable nature of even the most carefully constructed draft plans, it is the Al Cunningham sequence, a chain of events that rippled through Pittsburgh's Day 2 and Day 3 selections in ways that were still being felt in the seventh round.

Pittsburgh had assigned Cunningham, a wide receiver prospect, a second-round grade and fully intended to select him with the 30th overall pick of the second round—a selection acquired from Detroit. Khan made the calculated decision to use that pick on Arkansas safety Sal Stanley instead, banking on Cunningham being available three picks later when Pittsburgh was back on the clock using Seattle's third-round selection.

Philadelphia took Cunningham at 31st.

The domino effect was immediate. Without their primary target, Pittsburgh scrambled and selected Virginia Tech's Zach DeVine—a pick that analysts openly described as a reach and that the Steelers' own war room acknowledged was not the scenario they had planned for.

The scramble didn't end there. With Devine now on the board and linebacker addressed in an unsatisfying way, Pittsburgh's approach to the fourth round shifted. Wide receiver had been a secondary need, and with Pittsburgh native Jared Hutson of the University of Pittsburgh available as the fastest receiver remaining on the board, Khan pulled the trigger—a pick driven as much by the Cunningham miss as by Hutson's own draft profile.

"That one pick by Philadelphia changed three selections for Pittsburgh," one source said. "The Devine pick, the Brooks pick, the Hutson pick—all of them trace back to Cunningham being gone three spots early."

The Flores Intervention

By the time the seventh round arrived, Pittsburgh's linebacker room had already been addressed—twice, some would argue awkwardly—through the selections of Devine and Hugh Brooks. The case for drafting a third linebacker in the same draft, particularly one coming off a significant knee injury, was not immediately obvious to everyone in the room.

It was obvious to Brian Flores.

The Steelers' defensive coordinator had been tracking Penn State's Landon Mackey throughout the pre-draft process and had spent considerable time with Pittsburgh's medical staff reviewing the knee injury that caused Mackey to fall from first-round consideration entirely. When the seventh round arrived and Mackey was still available, Flores made his case directly and without equivocation.

"Brian told them the doctors cleared him one hundred percent," one source said. "That was his entire argument. You have a former All-American middle linebacker with ideal size, ideal athleticism, and ideal football character sitting right there in the seventh round. The knee is fine. Take him."

Khan took him.

Whether Flores' instinct proves correct will depend on a knee that has not yet been tested at the NFL level. But the profile—6'4", 228 pounds, All-American pedigree, sideline-to-sideline range—is the kind of player that seventh-round picks almost never are. If Mackey is healthy, Pittsburgh may have just taken the most valuable player of their entire draft with their final selection.

The Verdict

Three days. Thirteen picks. A quarterback acquired through the trade market rather than the draft board. A potential franchise tackle in Seri. And a seventh-round linebacker who, if the medical clearance holds, might be the steal of the entire class.

Khan's draft-day approach was unconventional enough to generate genuine anxiety among a fanbase still raw from the Richardson saga. The trade with Baltimore, in particular, required a certain faith in the process that not everyone was willing to extend in the moment.

By Sunday evening, most of them had come around.

"He's the Khan Artist, people," one fan had posted on X during the height of Thursday night's chaos. "Have faith."

Three days later, it was hard to argue with the sentiment.

[djp73]

Great articles

[Soapy]

Unload the pick for a proven talent then

[redsox907]

Great articles

thank you, sir

Unload the pick for a proven talent then

except for the part I ain't got no cap room lmao I had less than 1M remaining after the draft, which is why I had to trade FS Mac Kopp in the Lawry trade, I didn't have the room to absorb him otherwise

I'll have an article later breaking it down, but here are the main guys needing new contracts next season

DK Metcalf
Zachariah Branch
Cayden Green
Troy Fautanu
Kelvin Banks Jr
TJ Watt
Derrick Harmon
Patrick Queen
Harold Perkins Jr
Joey Porter Jr
Ji'Ayir Brown

idk when I'm going to dead this, so didn't want to plan for one season and end up wanting to do more and fucking myself lol.

and technically - I did trade the 2nd for a proven player (Landry) plus some fodder

[redsox907]

we getting bumpy