Over the past few days, more and more reports have come out and stated – almost unequivocally – that the Pittsburgh Steelers have shown their hand or revealed who they are selecting in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft with the prospects they brought in for official and local visits. Leaning deeply into the narrative, the myth that the Steelers select who they host has grown even more year by year. The problem with myths is that – despite the power they hold to be perpetuated – they rarely hold up under true heavy scrutiny. And this Steelers myth can be easily busted, reopening the reality that who gets selected in 2026 very well may not be on the official visits list.
Prove it
Anticipating a debate, let’s look back at the 2017 Steelers draft class. Pittsburgh had 8 picks to use. Reports from the Steelers beat rolled in as official visits began picking up. Fans watched and waited as mock drafts got prepared and shared.
Steelers predraft visitors today: QB Josh Dobbs, WR Kenny Golladay, WR Joshua Reynolds and QB Patrick Mahomes.
— Ray Fittipaldo (@rayfitt1) April 3, 2017
The Steelers walked into the actual draft and selected the following players:
- Round 1, Pick 30: T.J. Watt (LB, Wisconsin)
- Round 2, Pick 62: JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR, USC)
- Round 3, Pick 94: Cameron Sutton (CB, Tennessee)
- Round 3, Pick 105 (comp): James Conner (RB, Pittsburgh)
- Round 4, Pick 135: Joshua Dobbs (QB, Tennessee)
- Round 5, Pick 173: Brian Allen (CB, Utah)
- Round 6, Pick 213: Colin Holba (LS, Louisville)
- Round 7, Pick 248: Keion Adams (LB, Western Michigan)
Out of that class, just Adams and Dobbs were Top 30 visitors. Conner was a local visit, and did not count against the official 30. Watt was evaluated at Wisconsin’s Pro Day (and a reported eat and greet afterward). None of the other selections were on this mythological radar – official visits – that granted fans the path the Steelers had across the big board.
A larger sample size
Being ethical in busting myths is a rare quality, but more data may help clarify how the Steelers have traditionally “drafted” in the past decade… and how official visits played out.
After 2020 and 2021 completely altered the visits landscape due to the COVID-19 precautions, things were back in swing – for sure – in 2022.
The Steelers had 7 picks in 2022. They drafted two players from their official Top-30 visitor list: Chris Oladokun (7th round) and Mark Robinson (7th round). Kenny Pickett had a local visit (Pitt), which did not count against the official 30-visit limit. Their other picks (all non-visitors) were: George Pickens (2nd round), DeMarvin Leal (3rd round), Calvin Austin III (4th round), Connor Heyward (6th round).
Granted, Heyward already had his brother (Cameron Heyward) on the roster… which may have factored in to why no official visit was needed, but what about Pickens? Leal? Austin?
The 2023 Steelers Draft class was the oddity. Out of 7 picks, 5 came in for official visits.
Over the last decade
Based on verified records of official visits, pro day appearances, and local visits that did not count against the 30-prospect limit, the Steelers have only selected a handful of players who made top-30 visits.
Since 2016, per Pro Football Reference and NFL statistics, the Steelers had a ~70–80 pick range (74 selections). Compensatory picks (extra selections awarded for lost free agents) and mid-round trades can shift the exact number slightly year-to-year, which is why the statement uses a range.
Rough breakdown by era (based on consistent reporting patterns):
- 2016–2019 (~31 total picks): ~15–20 non-visitors (most classes had only 1–3 visitors drafted).
- 2020–2021 (~15 picks): All non-visitors due to COVID.
- 2022–2025 (~28 picks): ~10–20 non-visitors (similar visitor-to-draft ratio).
This lands in the 40–55+ ballpark out of 74 total. Non-visitors are the clear majority in most Steelers classes, including many high-profile selections.
The bottom line
The Steelers, like most NFL teams, treat official visits as one useful data point among many – not a requirement and certainly not as a determinator for the public. Their process leans heavily on broader evaluation, which is why non-visitors dominate the overall tally. The ranges account for real-world variability in data completeness and definitions.
So, fans looking forward to the NFL Draft being clearly outline ahead of time by the Steelers – based on visits – are likely to be disappointed. History has shown that the 2026 Steelers class will include players evaluated in other ways – and likely will begin in the opening rounds. That also means your favorite college prospect could still be called out as the next Pittsburgh Steeler very soon, even if they seem to have been “overlooked.”