Steelers 2026 NFL Draft Final Grades: Pittsburgh leaves the weekend with more questions than answers despite making 10 selections
Here is the final grades and analysis of every selection in the Steelers’ 2026 class, and a final grade overall.
The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have made 10 total picks. I graded and analyzed each one and gave the class a final grade.
Steelers’ final draft grades for the 2026 class
Round 1, Pick 21: Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State
.The Steelers took a tackle who is worthy of a first-round pick, but who needs a lot of development. Similar to a pick they made a few years back with Broderick Jones. If Iheanachor hits, this pick will look a lot better in a few years. But to sit there as if Makai Lemon would fall to the Steelers could leave a sour taste in the mouths of many Steelers fans.
Grade: C+
Round 2, Pick 47: Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama
To only have to part ways with a fourth and a seventh while also adding one of the better slots in the class, who also fits like a glove in Pittsburgh, is excellent value from the Steelers. He’s not going to wow you with game-breaking speed or an over-the-top presence, but he does all the little things very well.
Grade: A
Round 3, Pick 76: Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
Allar is a polarizing player because if you just look at him throw pat, and go, he looks the top pick in the NFL Draft. The size, the arm, the mobility, he has traits in spades. The problem is, he lacks the intangibles and footwork to start in the NFL. He’s a project, and in the third round, that may be a little rich for some teams.
Grade: C
Round 3, Pick 85: Daylen Everette, CB, Georgia
If you want traits at any position, it’s not a bad idea to head to Athens, Georgia, and Daylen Everette is another example of that. Built like a safety at over 6-1 and close to 200 pounds, Everette ran in the 4.3s and jumped nearly 40 inches at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. He produced at a high level for the Bulldogs for three straight seasons, and he’s one of the more intriguing prospects in the defensive backfield.
Grade: B
Round 3, Pick 96: Gennings Dunker, OL, Iowa
Dunker may be famous for his flowing hair and red-tinged beard and locks, but he’s a darn good football player. Iowa through and through, Dunker was announced as a guard, which tells me he’s in pole position to be the Steelers’ starting left guard come September.
Grade: A
Round 4, Pick 121: Kaden Wetjen, returner, Iowa
He was one of the most explosive and dynamic returners in the country during his time at the University of Iowa. So what’s the problem? Well, that’s all he really brings to the table. At 5-9 and 193 pounds, he totaled 197 receiving yards during his three years with Iowa. He’s essentially Calvin Austin III’s replacement.
Grade: C-
Round 5, Pick 169: Riley Nowakowski, TE/FB, Indiana
Nowakowski immediately serves as a replacement for the recently departed Connor Heyward, playing as a hybrid FB/TE. He’s a grinder who will throw his face in a pile. He fits the Steelers well.
Grade: B+
Round 6, Pick 210: Gabriel Rubio, DL, Notre Dame
The Pittsburgh Steelers made their legacy pick in the draft, selecting the son of a former Steeler and getting some potential depth on special teams. Rubio was largely believed to be a UDFA, but in this class, that doesn’t feel worthy of a big downgrade.
Grade: C
Round 7, Pick 224: Robert Spears-Jennings, S, Oklahoma
Spears-Jennings was my favorite day three pick for the Steelers. He has true range to player over the top and be a centerfielder, but he can come down and thump, selecting him in Round 7 is great value.
Grade: A
Round 7, Pick 230: Eli Heidenreich, RB, Notre Dame
The Steelers saved arguably their best story of the draft for last. A Navy Midshipman from Pittsburgh, Heidenreich was in full uniform and walked the halls to the draft stage to greet Roger Goodell.
More than a cool moment, however, Heidenreich is a tremendous athlete, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he pushed Kaleb Johnson for the RB No. 3 role.
Grade: A+
Final Grade for the whole class: B
After tallying all of my grades and running the grade point average, the Pittsburgh Steelers finished with a 3.0, which averages out to a B. Now, some of that weight was propped up by 7th-rounders, who are likely to have less of a hit rate than picks on day one and two, but the class has some bright spots nonetheless.
The issue is, we still have no clarity on who will be the starting quarterback, left tackle, or left guard, and while some picks felt like plays for the future, others felt like win-now moves. Time will tell if any of them hit.