NFL Draft category, Page 2
Pittsburgh hotels for NFL Draft are nearly sold out
A hotel booking surge has swept through Pittsburgh as visitors secure lodging for the NFL Draft in April, pushing North Shore and Downtown room rates to about $1,000 a night and selling out many hotels — even as numerous homes listed for rent remain available. “We’re absolutely ecstatic about the...
Steelers targeting top wide receivers in latest mock drafts
The consensus among draft gurus remains that the Pittsburgh Steelers will select a receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft in April. However, on the heels of the scouting combine, an increasing number of analysts are projecting Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson as the pass-catcher wearing black and gold...
‘Mountainous’ Miami tackle Markel Bell has pre-draft visit with Steelers
Miami (Fla.) offensive tackle Markel Bell visited the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice facility Friday as the team begins to host possible targets for the upcoming NFL Draft. Even among other linemen, Bell has massive size at 6-foot-9 and 346 pounds. He played two seasons for the Hurricanes, starting five games as...
Ultimate guide to Pittsburgh’s finest pizzerias during the NFL Draft
There are a few things visitors need to be aware of when traversing Pittsburgh for the 2026 NFL Draft: how to navigate the city’s bridges, how to properly use Pittsburghese slang and — most important, of course — where to find pizza that is cheesy, delicious and fit for a...
Pittsburgh leaders bullish on plans for Downtown leading up to, after 2026 NFL Draft
Pittsburgh officials on Thursday painted a bright picture of a Downtown in the midst of revitalization efforts that will allow the city to shine during the 2026 NFL Draft next month. They vowed also to build on efforts to make the Golden Triangle safe, clean and vibrant long after the...
Pittsburghers asked to pick up litter ahead of NFL Draft
As Pittsburgh prepares to host the NFL Draft, Pennsylvania officials are asking residents to lend a hand in cleaning up litter in and around the city. Despite ongoing cleanup efforts by PennDOT, Secretary Mike Carroll said it’s “not enough.” “We really rely on our volunteer groups to get things done...
Allegheny General Hospital treats victims of mock mass shooting in drill preceding 2026 NFL Draft
A woman in a Ben Roethlisberger jersey approached a triage tent Thursday morning near the ambulance bay at Allegheny General Hospital. Her left cheek was streaked red, representing a gunshot wound from a fictional mass shooting at Acrisure Stadium. “What am I supposed to do?” the actor asked the cluster...
Converted DE Zane Durant from Penn State still plays with explosiveness as NFL Draft prospect
It was one of those oddball inquires typically associated with Super Bowl media day. But when, at the NFL Combine last week, Zane Durant was presented with a question regarding what emoji he would say best describes his game, the Penn State product was quick with an answer. “I probably...
As 2026 NFL Draft nears, secrecy dominates vendor selection
Davis Ellis hoped to head to Downtown Pittsburgh and cook soul food for the throngs of football fans expected to jam the city for the 2026 NFL Draft. He won’t get the chance. The NFL denied his vendor application, and the owner of the ChefnaBox food truck said Wednesday he...
Redding up the river: New law helps removal of abandoned boats before NFL Draft
As crews build out the North Shore for the NFL Draft that opens in 50 days, another project is now underway: clearing abandoned boats from the rivers. Michael Hills, president of the Pittsburgh Safe Boating Council, said there has long been an effort to rid Allegheny County of abandoned boats....
Steelers should avoid early-round QBs in 2026 NFL Draft, says Ben Roethlisberger
Rather than search for their next quarterback early in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ all-time leading passer wants the team to prioritize other needs first. “I think too many teams try and get a quarterback … and they build a team around a quarterback,” retired quarterback Ben Roethlisberger...
NFL Draft opens online fan registration
Fan registration for the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh is open. In a joint release, the league, Visit Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Steelers said the event will transform Pittsburgh’s central neighborhoods into an “expansive Draft campus” showcasing the city’s landmarks and rivers. The league is encouraging draft attendees to download...
Event organizer feuds with Pittsburgh over 2026 NFL Draft permit
An event organizer with a history of clashing with Pittsburgh officials is once again at odds with the city, accusing it of slow-walking his permit application to host 100 Black vendors Downtown for the NFL 2026 Draft. William “B” Marshall is alleging the city, a Downtown nonprofit and the NFL...
Top-rated CB draft prospect Mansoor Delane likely won’t fall to them, but plays like a Steeler
By the nature of the position he plays, coverage skills are paramount. And it should come as no surprise that the consensus No. 1 cornerback prospect for next month’s NFL Draft was graded as the second-best in coverage among power-conference corners by Pro Football Focus. What perhaps might come as...
Penn State’s Drew Allar has no regrets about final year, believes he owns strongest arm in draftVideo
About 15 months ago, quarterback Drew Allar chose to return to Penn State for his senior season, hoping to chase a national championship and solidify his NFL Draft stock as a top pick. Nothing went quite as he imagined. The Nittany Lions had a disastrous season, leading to coach James...
Mark Cuban joins Pittsburgh AI startup panel during NFL Draft week
More than $1.2 million in artificial intelligence startup funding will be awarded in Pittsburgh during NFL Draft week, with Mt. Lebanon native Mark Cuban serving as a judge. On April 22, Carnegie Mellon University in partnership with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the AI Strike Team will host Powering the Future...
Penn State TE, North Allegheny grad Khalil Dinkins hopes NFL teams look beyond his stats
Khalil Dinkins wants to be the latest Penn State tight end to find a spot in the NFL, joining former teammates Tyler Warren, Theo Johnson and Brenton Strange. His pass-catching numbers don’t rival those recent Nittany Lions stars, but an invite to the NFL combine gave the 6-foot-4, 251-pound Dinkins...
Steelers casting a wide net in investigating wide receivers to draft
Makai Lemon termed the experience of chatting with Mike McCarthy as “a blessing.” Jordyn Tyson referred to McCarthy as “a legend.” Antonio Williams said he had “a great meeting” with McCarthy, the newly hired Pittsburgh Steelers coach. There’s no truth to the rumor that every one of the nearly four...
‘Just talking ball’: 1st-round QB prospect Ty Simpson, Steelers coach Mike McCarthy meet
Time flies when you’re having fun, and apparently not moreso than when the consensus No. 2 quarterback available in the draft met this week with the new head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. “It was really cool,” that quarterback, Alabama’s Ty Simpson, told reporters at the NFL combine Friday, “because...
Mock drafts entering NFL Combine link Steelers with 1st-round receivers
Five mock drafters concurred this week that the Pittsburgh Steelers should take a receiver in the first round, but they disagreed on who that pass catcher will be. With the 21st overall pick, they predicted the Steelers might select Washington’s Denzel Boston, USC’s Makai Lemon or another wideout all together....
The NFL Draft opens to new group: Tech innovators
The NFL wants you for the upcoming draft — if you’re a technology innovator, that is. The league on Friday unveiled the NFL Draft Innovation Challenge, a crowdsourcing initiative to “enhance the fan and event experience.” The league is inviting individuals, startups and established companies to propose new tools and...
Former teammate of Steelers’ Joey Porter Jr. at PSU, Zakee Wheatley a versatile safety prospect
INDIANAPOLIS — It’s not uncommon for a player to transition, at some point in his football career, from cornerback to safety, and there are plenty of cases of deep safeties moving to in-the-box linebacker. But how about a player who has made the move among the three and back again?...
Tim Benz: Offensive tackle has entered the Steelers’ draft chat … againVideo
After Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan addressed media members at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, most of the headlines were centered on what he said about the team’s plans at quarterback. Naturally. Why should this year be any different than the previous four in the wake of Ben...
On Sports: Penguins prepare to run gauntlet; where will Pitt’s Kyle Louis fit on an NFL roster?Video
Thursday’s “On Sports” takes a look at the challenge currently in front of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who begin a difficult final month-and-a-half of the regular season minus captain Sidney Crosby. At the NFL Combine, former Pitt standout linebacker Kyle Louis looks to further showcase his next-level potential, while Paul Skenes...
Having already shown he’s a playmaker, Pitt’s Kyle Louis eager to show off speed at combineVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Perhaps the only thing Kyle Louis does faster than run as compered to other draft-eligible linebackers is answer a question about what drill he’s most excited about during his workouts Thursday at the NFL combine. “Obviously,” Louis said Wednesday from the combine site, “that 40. I’m trying to...
