Critiquing 2026 NFL Drafts Hauls: Pittsburgh Steelers

In the third round, the Steelers made three selections: picks No. 76, No. 85 and No. 96. With No. 76, the Steelers took former Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. Regardless of how you feel about Allar, this is definitely preparing for the future by the Steelers. As Rodgers is also a pocket passer, Allar would get to learn for a year before challenging Will Howard for the starting position. That is assuming he gets back to a healthy enough place after the injury he suffered against Northwestern.

With pick No. 85, the Steelers selected Daylen Everette from Georgia. The Steelers have always had a physical brand of defense from the Steel Curtain to the days of James Harrison and Troy Polamalu. Now with T.J. Watt and Joey Porter Jr., they look to build successful defenses that can carry Pittsburgh back to the Super Bowl. Everette could play alongside Porter Jr. as two of the premier corners in the NFL. While Porter has established himself, Everette will have to prove it. As he is a Georgia Bulldog, he should fit right in with the Steelers’ physical play.

With the No. 96 pick, the Steelers took the man, the myth, the legend, offensive tackle Gennings Dunker from Iowa. The Steelers may have made the best pick of the draft and no, it is not for Dunker’s luscious locks. This move may help Rodgers make his decision on whether or not to return to the Steelers for one more season. Dunker could protect Rodgers’ blindside while Rodgers mentors Allar and Howard. Clearly, the Dunker pick was very important.

The Third Day

On the first pick of day three, the Steelers got a “steal” of a pick in wide receiver Kaden Wetjen in the four round. At Iowa, Wetjen was used more as a return man, being the successor to former Hawkeyes teammate Cooper DeJean. Wetjen will be one of the players filling the hole left by Calvin Austin III. Wetjen can provide speed and another set of hands for McCarthy’s offense. In college, he had 23 receptions for 196 yards and one touchdown. While the pick was a bit of a reach, I would still give it a B+.

In the fifth round, the Steelers selected Riley Nowakowski, a fullback from the Indiana Hoosiers. The Nowakowski pick isn’t my favorite specifically because he’s a fullback. In the fifth round, there is plenty of other top talent that could be found. Most teams don’t even have a fullback on their roster. The Steelers are one of the few that still do. I give this a D+. 

In the sixth round, the Steelers nabbed defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio from Notre Dame. Most experts expect him to be used on special teams as a field goal blocker primarily. However, he could be used as a depth piece as well. Rubio can play all positions along the defensive line and that versatility helps considering Watt’s injury history. Rubio will be a valuable sixth-round pick for McCarthy and the Steelers.

The Steelers had two more picks in the seventh round. The first was pick No. 224, where they selected safety Robert Spears-Jennings. He is a likely special teams guy due to his low missed tackles rate and speed. The Steelers’ final pick was the feel-good story of the draft, Eli Heidenreich, a running back/wide receiver hybrid from Navy. Heidenreich could end up being a secret weapon for the Steelers. As a Pittsburgh native, he goes to the team he grew up watching. He fits the Steelers’ mold where they use his versatility to be even more explosive. McCarthy has experience with players who have position versatility and Heidenreich can be the Jalen Tolbert of the Steelers. I’d give this pick an A-.

Review

As a whole, the Steelers got a lot of needs addressed at the draft. Would it have been nice to get Lemon? Yes. But Iheanachor is a good pick and Bernard will be a great fit. The Day 2 picks are solid and the Day 3 picks are more for depth, but that’s what they are supposed to be. The fullback pick still isn’t great and Rubio and Spears-Jennings are likely special team additions only. As a whole, I give the Steelers a B.