Breaking down the Steelers picks in Mel Kiper's new ESPN mock draft

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. put out his newest mock draft on Wednesday, and this time, Kiper went a full two rounds. We are just a week from the 2026 NFL Draft and according to Kiper, this will be his final projection before the draft starts.

Let's take a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers picks. In the first round, Kiper has the Steelers taking former Penn State guard Vega Ioane. With a run on wide receivers just before the Steelers go on the clock, this is the perfect pick.

Ioane is plug and play for 10 years and has All-Pro potential. The Steelers had Ioane in for a Top-30 visit and recognize just how dominant he can be. Moving to the second round, Kiper gave the Steelers former Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch.

Kiper notes the Steelers current wide receiver depth chart and Branch's fit with his speed and quickness. However, we don't by the hype around Branch in the second round. If speed and quickness is the point, why not just keep Calvin Austin III?