Which Steelers 2026 Rookies Have the Best Chance at Success in Their First Seasons?
The Pittsburgh Steelers walked away from the 2026 NFL Draft with 10 players drafted. These 10 rookies now have the chance to make their dreams come true, playing in the NFL. However, when the 2026 season comes around, and the Steelers' 53-man roster is announced, the likelihood that all 10 of these young men will be on that roster, or in a position to make a huge impact on the game, is extremely slim. For nearly two decades, the Steelers have excelled at drafting, selecting the best available player in each round they pick and consistently finding stud receivers in later rounds, such as Antonio Brown, Juju Smith-Schuster, George Pickens, and many more. All of these 2026 rookies will have to fight and will have a chance, but these rookies have the best chance of making an impact in their first year.
WR - Germie Bernard
The Steelers selected Germie Bernard in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, with the 47th overall pick. The Alabama wide receiver stands six-foot-one and weighs 206 pounds. At the combine, Bernard showcased his speed and ability to quickly change direction, running a 4.48-second 40-yard dash, a 1.52 10-yard split, and a 6.71-second three-cone drill. During his time in college, Bernard played well, taking two years to fully develop himself into a star before transferring to Alabama in his junior year. In his first two seasons at Michigan State and Washington, respectively, he had 41 receptions, 547 yards, and four receiving touchdowns, as he added another two on the ground. In his first year with Alabama, the six-foot-one receiver led the team with 50 receptions, while having 794 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns, and adding another touchdown on the ground. His senior season was his best, as he led the team again with 64 receptions, recording 862 yards and seven touchdowns to go along with it. He had another two rushing touchdowns and even completed two passes for 15 yards. Bernard comes to a Steelers team that has been looking for a young playmaker at wide receiver ever since Antonio Brown left the team. They had this with Pickens before he was traded to the Cowboys. Now, Pittsburgh has D.K. Metcalf and Michael Pittman, both six-foot-four receivers who can take the outside and wreak havoc downfield, while Bernard can perfectly slide into the slot receiver role and use his versatility to make plays and become a star in the NFL. Bernard’s exceptional ability to haul in passes and run clean routes will be necessary for Mike McCarthy’s pass-heavy offense. Regardless of who the Steelers quarterback will be, Bernard will take immense pressure off their chest.
OT - Max Iheanachor
The Steelers selected Max Iheanachor in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the 21st overall selection. Despite talks that the Steelers might trade up in the draft and a very likely chance they would draft WR Makai Lemon, the Eagles made a trade and selected Lemon one pick before the Steelers, leading them to take Iheanachor, a very developmental offensive tackle. The six-foot-five, 321-pound offensive tackle moved from Nigeria to Compton at the age of 13 and did not play football growing up. In 2021 and 2022, he played football for East Los Angeles College, serving as both left and right tackle, and was named a top-10 Junior College recruit in 2022. In 2023, Iheanachor’s first season with Arizona State, he played six games and started five. In the next two seasons, he started 14 and 12 games, respectively, all 26 of which were at right tackle. He was named to the Second-Team All-Big 12 Conference. At the combine, the Nigerian offensive tackle was a standout, running a 4.91-second 40-yard dash, which was good for second among all offensive linemen. He had a vertical jump of 30.5 inches and a broad jump of nine feet seven inches, while adding a very solid bench press of 25 reps. He was ranked first in athleticism among offensive linemen at the draft, and has shown a quick kick-slide and exceptional ability to climb to the second level. He is a work-in-progress prospect, but his athletic ability is off the charts. Broderick Jones sustained a setback in his recovery from a neck injury he suffered last season, which sidelined him for the last six games. With Troy Fautanu playing all 17 games last season, 100% of the snaps, and only having three penalties on him all season, his place seems secure. While Iheanachor will likely have to fight with Dylan Cook and Jones, whenever he returns, his upside is so strong that he could be the anchor opposite Fautanu that the Steelers need.
OL - Gennings Dunker
The Steelers selected Gennings Dunker in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the 96th overall selection. The six-foot-five, 315-pound offensive lineman from Iowa can play both tackle and guard and has shown incredible technique and ability. Dunker redshirted his 2021 season before starting just one game at right guard in 2022. In 2023, he started 13 games at right tackle, followed by 11 starts in 2024, and was nominated to the Second-Team All-Big Ten Conference; he missed two games due to injury. He finished his collegiate career in 2025 with 13 starts at right tackle, being named to the Third-Team All-Big Ten Conference, as Iowa’s offensive line won the Joe Moore Award for being the best in the nation. The Iowa native has also shown his exceptional strength, having competed and won the Solon, Iowa, Beef Days Hay Bale Toss multiple times. This is an event in which 50-60 pound hay bales are thrown over a bar standing 14.5 feet. At the combine, Dunker was repeatedly noted as having great explosiveness, agility, and a great mullet. He ran a 5.18-second 40-yard dash, a 32-and-a-half-inch vertical jump, and a 4.63 20-yard shuttle, which was good for third among all linemen. Despite playing 37 of his 38 college games at right tackle, Dunker practiced at guard during the Senior Bowl, and his ability to drive like a bull and be an aggressive run-blocker could provide a great opportunity for him to be another great young lineman for Pittsburgh. He is widely viewed as a perfect fit for Pittsburgh, seemingly fitting in with the culture, both on and off the field, and would provide the exact style of hard-nosed football the Steelers need.
RB - Eli Heidenreich
The Steelers selected Eli Heidenreich in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the 230th overall selection. Standing six feet tall and weighing 198 pounds, the hybrid wide receiver/running back out of Navy comes in as a perfect Swiss army knife for Pittsburgh. Heidenreich was one of the Navy’s best players during his three seasons with the team. In 2023, he led the team in receiving yards with 382, receiving touchdowns with four, and was tied for the team lead in receptions with 19. Through 12 games played and four starts, he also added 214 yards and a touchdown on the ground. In 2024, he led the team again in receptions with 39, receiving yards with 671, and tied the school record for receiving touchdowns with six. He started all 13 games, adding 444 yards and three touchdowns rushing. In his senior season, in 2025, he was named to the Second-Team All-American Athletic Conference as a WR. He led the team with 51 receptions, set a school single-season record with 941 receiving yards, and yet again tied the school record with six receiving touchdowns. He started all 13 games, adding 499 yards and three touchdowns rushing. He holds the school record for most career receiving yards with 1,994 and touchdowns with 16. At the combine, the Navy running back ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash, had a 35.5-inch vertical jump, and a 10-foot broad jump. He also had 16 reps of 225 on the bench press. He has received many comparisons to 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey for his exceptional ability to both catch and run, while remaining extremely agile and elusive. While not slated to be a starting RB or WR with Pittsburgh, Heidenreich’s versatility makes him a perfect weapon out of the backfield, the slot, or in the return game. The Steelers’ head coach, Mike McCarthy, sees what he can bring to the team, and this seventh-round pick has the chance to be a surprise playmaker for Pittsburgh in 2026.
CB - Daylen Everette
The Steelers selected Daylen Everette in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the 85th overall selection. The six-foot-one, 196-pound cornerback out of Georgia is another fantastic example of who the Steelers try to build at the cornerback position, and he will come into a Pittsburgh secondary already strong and determined to erase part of the field every passing play. Everette played well in his time at Georgia, recording 13 tackles and one pass break-up in 2022 as a reserve. In 2023, he got his chance and started in all 14 games, where he had 29 tackles, three TFLs, one interception, and five pass break-ups. He would continue his success in 2024, being named to the Third-Team All-SEC, leading his team with three interceptions and tying for the team lead with two forced fumbles. He also had 58 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, one sack, and three pass break-ups through 14 starts. In his final season, 2025, he was named to the Third-Team All-SEC again, leading Georgia with 10 pass breakups in 13 games started. He also had 50 tackles and one interception. He won the National Championship with Georgia in 2022, and having played in the SEC all four years of college, he has that high-level, stress-filled game experience that will prepare him so well for the NFL. At the 2026 Combine, he recorded one of the best 40-yard dash times at 4.38 seconds, having reached a top speed of 23.28 mph during his attempt. His impressive 37.5-inch vertical jump and 10-foot-four broad jump, combined with his lengthy frame and speed, earned him a 9.89/10 for his Relative Athletic Score. He was originally viewed as a mid-round pick, but his impressive combine performance skyrocketed his draft stock into the late second or early third rounds, exactly where Pittsburgh landed him. While the Steelers already have great cornerbacks in Joey Porter Jr., Jamel Dean, and Asante Samuel Jr., as well as hybrid cornerback/safety Jalen Ramsey, Everette brings exceptional physicality and run-stopping ability. His big frame, along with his speed, allows him to shed blocks quickly and cut down on an outside run before it develops into much more. He earned a 90.1 grade from PFF in terms of run support. He is viewed as a “boom-or-bust” type of cornerback prospect, who has the potential to learn from veterans and develop into a star player, and the veteran presence in Pittsburgh will provide the perfect opportunity for him.
Honorable Mentions
The Steelers also selected Drew Allar in the third round with the 76th overall selection and Kaden Wetjen in the fourth round with the 121st overall selection. Allar stands six-foot-five and weighs 228 pounds. His senior season at Penn State was cut short by an ankle injury. Coming out of high school, he was a five-star recruit and the number one quarterback prospect nationally. He was an All-Big Ten Conference Honorable Mention in 2023 and 2024, his sophomore and junior years, respectively. In 2023, he set an FBS record by not throwing a single interception in his first 311 career passes. Allar did not participate in the 40-yard dash or any of the other combine drills, but he did participate in the on-field passing to the receivers. Allar was the sixth-ranked quarterback, according to his combine performance, where he excelled in the deep passing game and zipping the ball around, but struggled with accuracy. The big-bodied quarterback comes into Pittsburgh during a time of confusion at the quarterback position. While the Steelers are still awaiting Aaron Rodgers’ decision, McCarthy has stated that selecting Allar does not change their pursuit of the NFL veteran. Whether Rodgers does return or not, Allar comes in instantly, having to battle with Will Howard, who has already earned the love of Steelers fans and McCarthy alike.
Wetjen, the return specialist out of Iowa, stands five-foot-nine, and weighs 193 pounds. While Wetjen is listed as a wide receiver, his specialty comes in the return game. In Wetjen’s final two seasons at Iowa, he was named the Big Ten Conference Return Specialist of the Year twice and was a First-Team All-Big Ten return specialist both years. In both seasons, he won the Jet Award as the nation’s top returner, as he led all of college football in combined return yardage. He set a school record at Iowa with six kick return or punt return touchdowns. At the 2026 NFL Combine, Wetjen ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash, had a 35.5-inch vertical jump, a 6.95-second three-cone drill, and a 4.44-second 20-yard shuttle. Wetjen can come into Pittsburgh as a direct replacement for Calvin Austin, who handled the Steelers punt returns the past few seasons. While Austin may be faster, Wetjen’s great vision allows him to make people miss and truly work with the entirety of an open field. Wetjen likely won’t see much action at receiver, but his place with the Steelers could be set in stone already.
