The Pittsburgh Steelers have an offensive line to hang their hats on, but there's a glaring hole beside center Zach Frazier . ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. bolstered it in his latest 2026 NFL Draft mock-up, penciling Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane as Mike McCarthy's choice at No. 21 overall.
"Pittsburgh can try to replace Isaac Seumalo , who signed with the Cardinals," Kiper wrote Tuesday. "Ioane is the top pure guard in the class, with the power to physically move pass rushers out of the way and the light feet to erase second-level defenders. He didn't give up any sacks last season."
Ioane stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 320 pounds. He played in 44 games for the Nittany Lions over four seasons. Kiper believes he'd be much more useful to McCarthy's team than reaching for a quarterback at that pick.
Unsurprisingly, Kiper had the Las Vegas Raiders taking Indiana signal-caller Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick, a move that feels as if it can be written down in Sharpie at this point. The New York Jets plucked Alabama's Ty Simpson at No. 16.
"The Steelers' quarterback situation is still a big question," Kiper said. "Will Aaron Rodgers return? Will another veteran step in — such as Kirk Cousins ? Or will Pittsburgh target a signal-caller in the draft? No matter what the Steelers plan to do, the top two quarterbacks are off the board here, and there isn't a third one worthy of a Day 1 selection."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Mel Kiper Jr. Strengthens Steelers Offensive Line in Latest 2026 NFL Draft Mock-Up
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