Steelers Draft: Lemon's Loss, Allar's Gain

0:00On April 29, Pittsburgh Steelers fans had a rollercoaster at their own city's NFL Draft this year, the 2026 edition. They missed big on USC Y receiver McCoy Limon in the first round, settling for Arizona State Tackle Max E. Hanakor after the Eagles snag Limon. Right out from under them, Draft guru Mel Kuiper Jr slapped a B-grade on the whole class, which feels generous to some. Kuiper skipped right over that awkward phone call with Limon just before Dallas messed things up, focusing instead on what the team grabbed. Analysts say grade should stick to picks made, not misses, but that first round slips still stings of Limon blows up in Philly. Fans and experts are split, especially on the polarizing Penn State quarterback Drew Aller, taken at pick 76. Some love the upside. Others question passing on higher rated guys, leaving the class feeling uneven despite solid later rounds. They bounced back some by trading up in the second for Alabama's Jeremy Bernard, a nice fit next to stars like DK Medcalf.

1:00Iowa's Ginnings Dunker was killer value later, but taking Aller over Oregon's Emanuel Pregnant has folks debating value all day. In the end, while Kuiper sees a B, that early Blunder drops it to a C-plus for me. Steelers got pieces, but the what-ibs could haunt them of Limon, lights it up across the rivalry. Keep watching how these rookies gel.