The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t play in the Divisional Round, nor will the storied franchise make an appearance in the AFC Championship.

Where they have made frequent appearances, however, is in recent NFL mock drafts. With the conclusion of the Wild Card Round, the Steelers secured the 21st overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. So, here’s a look at the latest Steelers first-round picks from NFL mock drafts around the media landscape with the college football season officially a wrap.

Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News

The Steelers can’t try to piecemeal quarterback again after getting familiar limited results from Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. They need someone with a strong arm who plays well off the run and also can supplement that run with his own athleticism at times. Ewers checks the boxes with his experience and upside, and he should pan out much better than 2022 first-rounder Kenny Pickett.

Shavon Revel Jr., CB, East Carolina

Thor Nystrom, Fantasy Life

Pittsburgh needs to find a long-term starter to play across from Joey Porter. Revel would give Pittsburgh another long press-corner on the boundary.

Revel tore his ACL in practice in September. His draft evaluation will obviously hinge on his medicals. If he’s fully cleared, he has a real shot at the top 20. The former track star is a 6-foot-3, long-levered boundary corner with speed to burn.

Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan

AJ Schulte, A to Z Sports

The Steelers are searching for defensive line help in the offseason and this is the perfect draft to find that. There’s plenty of talent here the Steelers can target.

Kenneth Grant is a plug-and-play one technique at the next level. He’s an elite run defender but also offers some surprising splashes as a pass rusher.

Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA Today

Mike Tomlin made no promises about his team’s quarterback plans moving forward, other than declaring that the team had to take stock of all its options. For a franchise hardly prone to taking drastic action, the simplest solution to enacting change behind center might be simply re-signing Justin Fields to take over as the starter while saying goodbye to Russell Wilson. If the Steelers choose to go that route rather than looking to the draft for a passer, Egbuka would be a natural fit next to George Pickens as the smooth, polished No. 2 receiver this attack lacks.

S.M. Woolcock, FantasyPros (Steelers trade back with Packers, draft at pick No. 23)

It’s another masterclass by Steelers general manager Omar Khan, AKA “The Khan Artist,” who adds a valuable day-two pick and gets the receiver he wanted all along, Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka. Named the 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year for being the best high school player in the state of Washington, Ekbuka lived up to the billing at Ohio State and could have been a borderline first-round pick before returning to Columbus for his senior year.

With C.J. Stroud at quarterback in 2022, Egbuka flourished, finishing third in the Big Ten in receiving yards (1,151) and touchdowns (10). While some will knock the 22-year-old for never leading the Buckeyes in receiving, playing alongside two generational players, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jeremiah Smith, makes that a non-concern for me.

Egbuka is a true technician with a fluid change of direction and can do more than just play the slot like he was asked to do during much of his time at Ohio State. His after-the-catch ability makes him a threat to take it to the house on both screen passes and over-the-middle crossers. However, he is also a gifted down-field ball-tracker and special teams returner.

With the Steelers’ only legitimate pass-catchers being George Pickens on the perimeter and TE Pat Freiermuth, he’ll be a welcomed addition to a middling offense.

Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri

Kyle Crabbs, The 33rd Team

The Steelers’ lone quarterback under contract for the 2025 season right now is Skylar Thompson. One has to imagine Pittsburgh will need to get creative again to try to solve the riddle of who is behind center after the wheels fell off the Russell Wilson experience. Whoever is at quarterback will need a continuously improving supporting cast if the Steelers are going to have a postseason breakthrough. And no one finds wide receivers quite like the Steelers. Luther Burden is an explosive run-after-catch weapon that would pair very well with the Steelers’ tight end room and big-play threat George Pickens.

Matt Rooney, Bleacher Nation

This would be a little out-of-character pick for Pittsburgh, which usually likes to build from the inside out. However, Luther Burden III has had an outstanding career at Missouri and is a big play waiting to happen. He can come in on day one, significantly impact the Steelers’ offense, and be a weapon for whoever is playing QB in the Steel City next season.

Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss

Brandon Deutsch, The Sporting Tribune

The Pittsburgh Steelers land a physical mismatch in Tre Harris, a 6’3”, 225-pound wideout with elite separation and explosive athleticism. Harris is a true YAC (yards-after-catch) machine who thrives in one-on-one situations. While consistency, route-running polish, and durability are concerns, his upside as a potential star at the position is undeniable. With rumors swirling about the team’s plans to move on from George Pickens, Harris could step in as an immediate contributor, offering a dynamic target for whoever is at QB next year in Pittsburgh’s offense.

Which of these first-round projections would you be happiest for Pittsburgh to walk away with in the 2025 NFL Draft?