After a rocky start in Round 1, with the Steelers' top pick Makai Lemon getting snagged by the Philadelphia Eagles, the Steelers are heading into Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh with the chance that they won't make all four picks of the night until past midnight. The team is more than halfway down the lineup of second- and third-round picks in this year's draft.
Here's when you should tune in to catch the Steelers' Round 2 and 3 picks if you're not at the draft.
Round 2 of the NFL Draft is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET, and the Steelers are slated to pick at No. 21. Teams get seven minutes to make their second-round selections.
If each team takes the full allotment of time, Pittsburgh might have to wait 140 minutes — two hours and 20 minutes — to be on the clock. That means the Steelers' pick might not come until 9:20 p.m. ET.
Assuming every team uses the full time allotted to them, Round 3 will begin at about 10:44 p.m., with this round giving each team five minutes per selection. Again at No. 21 in the lineup, the Steelers could wait up to one hour and 40 minutes before it's their turn, putting their third-round pick at about 12:24 p.m.
These times could change depending on whether each team takes the full allotted time to make a pick or Pittsburgh makes a trade to move up or down the draft order.
The Steelers will get one pick in Round 2 with Pick 53, and the team will have three total third-round picks: their own, a compensatory selection and one acquired from the Dallas Cowboys as part of the George Pickens trade.
Top available players for the second day of the draft include Washington receiver Denzel Boston, who ESPN ranks as the fourth-best available player after Day 1, according to The Tribune-Review. While he visited the Steelers in recent weeks, because of his ranking, it's unlikely he'll still be available by the time the Steelers make their first pick of the night.
Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers is expected to make a decision about whether he'll stay with the Steelers at some point, a choice Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen recently said was "50-50."
Some speculated Rodgers might make a decision before or at the draft, but NFL insider Tom Pelissero said Rodgers' timeline to announce his plans would happen after draft, possibly in May.
Other than the Arizona Cardinals, every NFL team already has a clear starter or candidates to win the starting job for 2026.
As they head into the second day of the draft, the Steelers have needs at quarterback, safety, linebacker, cornerback, wide receiver and running back. Only five of 14 quarterbacks presumed to go in the 2026 draft received a grade of B or higher from USA TODAY experts.
The 2026 NFL Draft Theater stage at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa. on April 23, 2026.
1 / 23Steel City ready for draft night as the NFL comes to PittsburghThe 2026 NFL Draft Theater stage at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa. on April 23, 2026.
The 2026 NFL Draft Theater stage at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa. on April 23, 2026.
The Steelers drafted offensive tackle Max Iheanachor from Arizona State. The pick came while Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones is recovering from a neck injury, with the potential for offensive tackle Troy Fautanu to slide to the left side and let Iheanachor step in at right tackle if need be.
The team was expected to pick USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, but the Philadelphia Eagles completed a trade with the Dallas Cowboys and jumped ahead, selecting Lemon before the Steelers could make their pick.
Rounds 4-7 will start at noon ET on Saturday, April 25. Like Round 3, rounds 3-6 will be five minutes each, while Round 7 will allow each team four minutes to make a selection.
As of April 24, Pittsburgh has the No. 53 overall pick in the second round and Nos. 76, 85 and 99 in the third round. On the final day of the draft, they're set to have Nos. 121 and 135 in Round 4, No. 161 in Round 5, No. 216 in Round 6 and Nos. 224, 230 and 237 in Round 7.
Multiple channels will broadcast the draft, including NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes. The draft will be available for streaming on NFL+.