Bengals rival is already one of the big losers in 2026 NFL Draft

The Cincinnati Bengals are notorious for reaching on project players in the first round of the NFL Draft. If one rumor is actually true, Joe Burrow made sure that wouldn't happen by demanding that the front office make a huge move on defense. That culminated in the trade for Dexter Lawrence.

Cincinnati's brain trust stripped themselves of the 10th overall pick to score Lawrence from the Giants. Quite the savvy move if you ask me. No succession plan/luxury first-rounder this time around. Never mind years of bad precedent, Shemar Stewart alone was reason enough for Cincinnati to serve up this year's Day 1 selection in favor of a proven player.

Maybe it's the fact that Mike Tomlin is no longer at the helm in Pittsburgh. Couldn't tell you. But what happened to the Steelers in Thursday night's first-round action was nothing short of epic hilarity on a variety of levels.

Steelers get dunked on by Howie Roseman and insider for first-round disasterclass

In a move that would've indubitably made Aaron Rodgers break out of his offseason slumber and maybe even announce his official return for the 2026 season, the Steelers were all set to select USC wide receiver Makai Lemon with the 20th overall pick.

Unbeknownst to Pittsburgh's leadership, legendary Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman was in the process of leapfrogging them to steal Lemon away. One of the most bizarre sequences you'll ever see or hear about on draft night:

As if that wasn't humiliating enough, Pittsburgh compounded the debacle by drafting Arizona State right tackle Max Iheanachor at 21st overall. Not only is Iheanachor rather new to football — he didn't play in high school — but he's not that big of a need for the Steelers at all.

Dylan Cook played well enough at left tackle last year to at least be penciled in as a fringe starter. Troy Fautanu is Pittsburgh's right tackle, and was a 2024 first-round pick.

So what's the plan? Kick Fautanu over to left tackle? Move him inside to guard, and keep Cook at left tackle? If Rodgers was watching the draft, his reaction must've gone from, "YES!" to "WHAT!?" in about two seconds flat.

This quote from a Steelers insider legit made me laugh out loud, because it totally matches up with how the Iheanachor pick felt.

Perhaps the shortened shot clock on picks from 10 to eight minutes put Pittsburgh in a panicked pickle, eh?

Like yes, Iheanachor is a freak of freaks as an athlete. My breakdown of this pick isn't as much of an indictment on him as a prospect as it is on the Squealers' decision-making. For where the Steelers are at as a team right now, there were so many other directions they could've gone for a more immediate, positive impact.

Another first-round wideout I'm very fond of, Omar Cooper Jr., was still on the board and would've fit well in the Steel City. I broke down in real time why Oregon left guard Emmanuel Pregnon was a far more logical fit as a plug-and-play starter on The Jet Press live draft show (skip to 1:07:00):

It's likely going to take at least one full season in the NFL until Iheanachor finds his footing, or cracks the starting lineup depending on how the offensive line reshuffle shakes out.

I'm just gonna say it: The first round of this 2026 draft in general is not going to age well.

There was an epic run on all these raw, red-flaggy offensive tackles just because of so-called "positional value." Even the prospects who were viewed as surefire first-rounders didn't strike me as that great.

Utah's Spencer Fano is solid in pass protection, yet both he and his teammate, Caleb Lomu, are a little light in the rear in the run game and could easily get speed-to-power bull rushed into oblivion at the NFL level. Miami right tackle Francis Mauigoa went to the Giants, courtesy of the Bengals' 10th pick, but he's probably going to play guard and has a medical red flag due to a back injury.

If the Steelers really are an all-in for what should be Rodgers' final season, how did they not trade up to make sure they got Lemon once he started falling? All it cost the Eagles to get up from No. 23 to No. 20 was two fourth-round picks. Pittsburgh has three third-round picks to work with.

What a baffling, hilarious unraveling from one of the NFL's most iconic franchises. Have a feeling they'll be a looser-run ship under Mike McCarthy. Imagine if Rodgers doesn't come back for this year, either.

Anyway, the Steelers pulled a Bengals by reaching on a boom-or-bust first-rounder who's not necessarily expected to play right away. Well done, yinzers!

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow