The Pittsburgh Steelers have a wide range of directions they can go with the 21st overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Despite tacking a tackle with their first-round pick in two of the last three years, that position is popping up again during this draft cycle. While the Steelers have Broderick Jones and Dylan Cook at left tackle, it’s a position many analysts still think they should target in the first round.
That includes The 33rd Team’s Steve Palazzolo. Broderick Jones doesn’t have a secure long-term future in Pittsburgh, and although Cook looked good late in 2025, it was on a small sample size. Too little to trust for Palazzolo, who thinks the Steelers should consider drafting a tackle in the first round.
“Now the one thing I can’t figure out is if Dylan Cook, was he good? Or was Aaron Rodgers just getting rid of the ball so quickly? Because he was getting rid of the ball very quickly,” Palazzolo said Monday on his Check the Mic podcast. “He might be a find, at left tackle. I’m not completely sold. It’s like, is tackle in play? Yeah.”
Jones seems to be recovering well from his neck injury. He was spotted running at Pittsburgh’s voluntary workouts last week, which is important since he’s got a massive season ahead of him. The Steelers don’t seem likely to pick up his fifth-year option. So there’s a good chance Jones is heading into a contract year.
In theory, that might open up a spot for Dylan Cook. After his strong finish to the 2025 season, he might get a chance to compete for the starting job in 2026 under a new coaching staff. Cook made his NFL debut against Baltimore in Week 14 after Jones’ replacement, Andrus Peat, went down with an injury.
From then, he played well. Cook was strong to finish that win over the Ravens and started each remaining game to end the year. He faced some talented pass rushers against Miami, Detroit, Cleveland and Houston and held his own for the most part.
That said, he did receive a lot of support. As with any young lineman getting his first NFL action, the Steelers sent help his way with chips and double teams. And along with the rest of the line, he benefitted from Aaron Rodgers consistently getting the ball out of his hands quickly.
But Cook still deserves his credit. He earned an 80.7 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, eight-highest of 89 eligible tackles. His run-blocking grade was a bit worse at 67.3. But even that still landed him in the top half of all tackles at No. 41.
Dylan Cook is still going to have to prove himself a bit more at the NFL level. And if the Steelers take a tackle early in the draft, that will only make his path tougher. All he can do is take advantage of his opportunities when he gets them. That’s something he was able to do in 2025, and hopes to do again in 2026.