The Pittsburgh Steelers will aim to make their offense more potent next season. Doing so will certainly involve adding more playmakers on the boundaries.
The Steelers' passing game ranked No. 22 in the league (202.4 yards per game) during this campaign. A mix of Calvin Austin III , Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen tried to help distract defenses from DK Metcalf , who led the team with 850 receiving yards.
Pro Football Sports Network's T.J. Randall offered Metcalf some help in a recent 2026 NFL Draft mock-up. The Steelers drafted Texas A&M wideout KC Concepcion with the No. 21 overall pick, passing on Alabama signal-caller Ty Simpson , who slid into the second round.
"The group of pass catchers outside of D.K. Metcalf inspires very little confidence," Randall wrote Saturday. "Plugging Concepcion into the equation provides some yin to Metcalf's yang, a 5-foot-11, 187-pound dynamo with the ball in his hands. His slippery, elusive style offers additional space for him to turbocharge his linear impact–elements that spill over into who he is as a punt returner.
"Such a skill set would benefit a quarterback with a recent history of low passing depth of target."
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Aaron Rodgers had the fewest average completed air yards (3.3) of any quarterback in the league this regular season. Only the New York Jets ' Brady Cook (5.3) and Cleveland Browns ' Dillon Gabriel (5.8) had fewer average intended air yards than Rodgers (5.9).
Concepcion was the fourth wideout taken off the board, after Ohio State's Carnell Tate ( Tennessee Titans , No. 4), Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson (No. 13, Los Angeles Rams ) and USC's Makai Lemon (No. 16, Jets). The Browns scooped up Washington 's Denzel Boston with the No. 24 pick.
Concepcion, a North Carolina State transfer, totaled 61 receptions for 919 yards and an SEC-leading nine touchdowns with the Aggies as a junior.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers Fix Offensive Flaw in 2026 NFL Draft Mock-Up
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