The Pittsburgh Steelers have been linked to a rather surprising move.
The Pittsburgh Steelers definitely need to add some help at wide receiver this offseason, as their cupboard is pretty bare beyond D.K. Metcalf.
The Steelers could try and add someone in free agency, and they have enough cap room where they should be able to do so. But they also may want to look toward a 2026 NFL Draft class that is slated to be very deep at the wide receiver position.
Alec Elijah of Pro Football Network recently posted a three-round mock draft, and in the first round, he has Pittsburgh making a rather surprising choice: Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Zachariah Branch.
"Zachariah Branch offers exactly the kind of dynamic element that can reshape the Steelers’ pass game beyond D.K. Metcalf," Elijah wrote. "His burst off the line is electric, forcing corners to play with exaggerated cushions and surrendering easy leverage before routes even develop."
The fact that Elijah has Pittsburgh selecting a receiver isn't what's surprising. It's that he has the Steelers rolling with Branch, who has generally been viewed as a Day 2 pick.
However, that could be changing, as ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. recently ranked Branch 23rd on his NFL Draft big board.
Georgia Bulldogs receiver Zachariah Branch. Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images."He’s more complete at the catch point than expected," Elijah added. "Branch adjusts naturally to off-target throws, maintains body control through contact, and finishes plays that many smaller receivers can’t. His hands are trustworthy, even when traffic closes quickly."
Branch led the SEC with 81 receptions in 2025, going for 811 yards and six touchdowns.
The 5-foot-10 burner began his collegiate career at USC in 2023, where he spent a couple of seasons before transferring to Georgia.
Branch logged 31 catches for 320 yards and a couple of scores during his freshman campaign with the Trojans and followed that up by snaring 47 balls for 503 yards and a touchdown in 2024.
The biggest concern about Branch is his size, but given that the Steelers already have the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Metcalf as their No. 1 receiver, perhaps Branch would fit.
That being said, Pittsburgh may be hoping for someone like Washington's Denzel Boston — who stands 6-foot-4 — to fall to the 26th overall pick.