A Letter From the Editor: The 2025 Draft should have taught Steelers fans a lot
I fell for it.
I’m man enough to say that I fell for the crap which ESPN spews throughout the course of the calendar year.
What did I fall victim to? How about a recent 2026 way-too-early NFL Mock Draft. What intrigued me the most was the fact it was supposed to be centered around teams who need a quarterback, and included trades. With that said, I was picturing a Steelers trade up into the Top 10 to get a signal caller, and I was excited to see who they tabbed to the Steelers.
What did I see?
No trade.
No quarterback.
This is what they predicted the Steelers to do at pick No. 16…
16. Pittsburgh Steelers – LT Overton, DT, Alabama
“Sure, the Steelers drafted Derrick Harmon this year, but you can never have too many defensive tackles. Cameron Heyward will be 37 entering the 2026 season; the defensive line could see some turnover. Overton fits what the Steelers have looked for in the past, as the 6-5 283-pounder can play off the edge or reduce inside. His 13.4% pressure rate at defensive tackle last season was second best in the FBS. He probably would have been a top-60 pick had he declared for the 2025 draft, but Overton has the opportunity to boost his stock even more — especially if he can improve his sack total (two last season).”
If you’re familiar with the movie A Christmas Story, you know the scene where Ralphie finally gets his Little Orphan Annie decoder pin, and as he sits in his bathroom decoding the first message he is left befuddled.
“Don’t forget to drink your Ovaltine.”
“A crummy commercial?! Son of a b–ch!”
I found myself reading the mock draft and thinking something very similar to Ralphie at that moment, but what came over me shortly after that initial reaction was how hopefully other Steelers fans would learn from the 2025 offseason.
What do I mean? Let me explain…
For those who pay close attention to the Steelers, and I would say the vast majority of mainstream football media members do not, you would have known the Steelers were not going to take an unnecessary risk by selecting a quarterback early in this year’s NFL Draft. Whether you read the Steel Curtain Network, or many other similar websites, you knew the overall evaluation of this crop of quarterbacks didn’t match with the Steelers overall plan.
Speaking of said plan, those same media members seemed flabbergasted when the Steelers didn’t draft a quarterback until the 6th Round. Did they not know, or notice, the accumulation of compensatory draft picks? Did they not see this as being a real thing? Did they not know those picks will likely be used to move up and get a quarterback in next year’s draft? That way if they end with a winning record, which will always be likely, they have the capital to make such a move? Have they been paying attention at all?!
This is what I’m talking about.
They don’t know.
So, what’s the moral of the story? As the regular season approaches, and eventually comes to a close, always remember the 2025 offseason. Remember the offseason when anyone on a national panel with a microphone was screaming how the Steelers should, and will, take a quarterback with their first round pick. Remember the angst spewed when the Steelers opted to draft Derrick Harmon at pick No. 21 in the draft. Remember the plan which was executed.
Ultimately, trust your instincts when it comes to your Steelers coverage. There are those who are in the know, and I’m not including myself or SCN into this group, and then there are those don’t know a thing about the team’s ultimate plans.
Let this be a lesson for years in the future…
How on Earth is anyone gonna tell me the Steelers are going back to back first round DL’s when the same people are STILL actively asking whom is gonna play QB for the Steelers in 25?!? All I’ve heard for two years is the “Steelers need a QB…” and didn’t take one. Now they’re just gonna give up on that narrative?? I can only assume their crystal ball revealed a great season by Mason Rudolph, and they’re now satisfied he’s solidified himself as the starter. Or, or, they are full of $&!^. Hmmm, which seems more likely.
Exactly. What boggles my mind is how, at least to me, not just local narratives. Yet the national media almost refuses to acknowledge that these things exist.
ESPN’s quality has been decreasing for the better part of 30 years, let alone the remainder of corporate sports media, IMO. Guess Ryan Clark (among others) are making money from their output, which is sad as some of them appear to be smarter at first blush. Kiper is a special case.
Content for the sake of content. Steelers will be as Steelers will do. Perhaps there is a degree of sports media commentary delivered to get a rise out of the Steeler fanbase–any click is a good one. Let’s go training camp, let’s go team!
Training camp is right around the corner. Hard to believe we’re already in May…
Thank goodness!
I think most Steelers fans are good with the idea that, whatever the grand plan is, it includes a 2 year plan encompassing the 2025 and 2026 drafts, and that they executed the 2025 draft accordingly.
Something I just thought of…fans have used the “plan” term a lot. Does the “plane” equate to another way of saying “rebuild”?
Careful with the “r-word”, Jeff. I’d stick with “build”, the FO could be reading.
What happened in the 2023 and 2024 drafts for these fans? Just not enough, or were those two seasons simply outside of the plan?
Hands down the best coverage of the Steelers is from SCN
Yep.