NFL Draft category, Page 2
Pittsburgh area native and astronaut makes NFL Draft appearance
Football fans got an out-of-this-world experience Saturday after NASA astronaut and Pittsburgh area native Warren “Woody” Hoburg led a Terrible Towel twirl and spoke about the Artemis II flight on the NFL Draft stage. While not a part of the Artemis II flight crew, Hoburg was able to watch the...
Pittsburgh scores a touchdown with record-breaking NFL Draft
Pittsburgh spent years building the foundation to host the 2026 NFL Draft. This week, the City of Champions delivered. Indeed, months before a Steelers quarterback throws a single pass at Acrisure Stadium for the 2026-27 season, the city had already scored a touchdown. Pittsburgh smashed draft attendance numbers twice as...
Eli Heidenreich bio: Steelers’ 7th-round pick (230th overall) in 2026 NFL Draft
Eli Heidenreich Seventh-round pick, No. 230 overall Running back/wide receiver, Navy 6-foot, 198 pounds Stats: Team-high 51 receptions, school-record 941 receiving yards and school record-tying six receiving touchdowns this past season. Hometown: Mt. Lebanon "This guy does everything" @KyleBrandt Remember the name Eli Heidenreich @EHeidenreich44 @NavyFB pic.twitter.com/fGJQup2K1p— Good Morning Football...
Steelers draft Oklahoma safety Robert Spears-Jennings early in 7th round
The Pittsburgh Steelers were looking at Robert Spears-Jennings early in the day during the draft Saturday. When they selected for the fourth time that day, they finally made the call for Spears-Jennings. “I was surprised,” assistant head coach/secondary Joe Whitt Jr. said of Spears-Jennings still being available in the seventh...
Mt. Lebanon native Eli Heidenreich drafted by hometown Steelers in 7th roundVideo
Eli Heidenreich proudly tells how the U.S. Naval Academy readied him to handle stressful situations, and Saturday was surely unlike any day he’d ever had before. The Mt. Lebanon native and Navy football star heard his name called at the NFL Draft, in his hometown and by his hometown team....
6th-rounder Gabriel Rubio is 2nd generation NFL Draft pick for Steelers
Twenty-eight years after the Pittsburgh Steelers selected his father, Notre Dame defensive lineman Gabriel Rubio became a second-generation NFL Draft pick by the franchise. The Steelers drafted the 6-foot-5, 321-pound senior in the sixth round Saturday, one round earlier than his father, Angel, who was a seventh rounder in 1998....
Gabriel Rubio: Steelers’ 6th-round pick (210th overall) in 2026 NFL Draft
Gabriel Rubio Sixth-round pick, No. 210 overall Defensive lineman, Notre Dame 6-foot-5, 321 pounds Stats: In his 39-game college career, Rubio had 66 tackles (27 solo, 7 for loss) with 1½ sacks and a forced fumble. Hometown: St. Louis Notre Dame DT #97 Gabriel Rubio TOSSES a 3rd year starter...
Photos: Scenes from the final day of the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh
Football fans came out to Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium on Saturday, April 25, 2026, to experience the last day of the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh....
Raiders start last day of NFL Draft by taking Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy in 4th round
Jermod McCoy’s lengthy wait to hear his name called at the NFL Draft came to a quick end on Saturday. The Las Vegas Raiders selected the Tennessee cornerback with the first pick of the fourth round, taking a small gamble that McCoy will return to form after missing all of...
Riley Nowakowski bio: Steelers 5th-round pick (No. 169 overall) in 2026 NFL Draft
Riley Nowakowski Fifth-round pick, No. 169 overall Fullback, Indiana 6-foot-2, 250 pounds Stats: Had 32 receptions for 387 yards and two touchdowns last season. Added two 1-yard TD runs. Hometown: Milwaukee Tidbits: Nowakowski was listed as a tight end at Indiana, but the Steelers will roster him as a fullback....
Penn State tailback Kaytron Allen selected in 6th round by Commanders
Penn State’s all-time leader in rushing yards is headed to the NFL. Kaytron Allen, who wrapped his collegiate career with 4,180 yards on the ground — the most by a Nittany Lions tailback — was selected in the sixth round (No. 187 overall) by the Washington Commanders. He joins former...
Penn State defensive lineman Zane Durant drafted by Bills at end of 5th round
Scouts had three years’ worth of film to study on Penn State defensive tackle Zane Durant before the NFL Combine. So they were familiar enough with the 6-foot-1, 290-pounder, who was a three-year starter for the Nittany Lions. But it still must have come as a pleasant shock to watch...
‘Just a blue-collar, gritty guy’: Steelers take Indiana FB Riley Nowakowski in 5th round
In the first draft under offensive-minded head coach Mike McCarthy, the Pittsburgh Steelers continued to address that side of the ball in adding Indiana’s Riley Nowakowski with a fifth-round choice Saturday. Nowakowski, who was taken 169th overall, is being listed as a fullback by the Steelers. He was regarded as...
Football card enthusiasts gather for Topps event at NFL Draft
Within the first 10 minutes of opening its doors Saturday, the Topps Collectors Celebration Day at the NFL Draft had fans already pressing tightly against the barricades near the Topps card-opening stage inside Acrisure Stadium. It wasn’t long until the crowd had completely flooded the area, throwing themselves at the...
Penn State running back Nick Singleton picked by Titans in 5th round
Nick Singleton, a record-setting tailback for Penn State, had a career-low 549 rushing yards last fall. Then, in January, he broke a bone in his foot while practicing for the Senior Bowl, which required surgery. However, whatever momentum disruptions Singleton may have encountered in the leadup to the NFL Draft...
Penn Hills grad Jaden Dugger selected by the 49ers in 5th round
The list of Penn Hills alumni who have played in the NFL is a who’s who of elite athletes, including future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, Bill Fralic, Barry Church and Tom Flynn. Add Jaden Dugger to the list. The 2022 Penn Hills grad was selected in the fifth round...
Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley selected in 5th round by Panthers
Zakee Wheatley arrived on campus at Penn State as a cornerback but transitioned to safety and became a two-year starter from 2024-25. How he’ll factor in at the next level remains to be seen, but the Carolina Panthers, seemingly intrigued by his versatility, will find out soon enough, as they...
Pitt’s Kyle Louis drafted by Dolphins late in 4th round
When the Miami Dolphins selected Kyle Louis in the fourth round of the NFL Draft 138th overall Saturday, the matter of where Pitt’s former standout linebacker would land at the next level was settled. For the time being, so was his role, as Louis was announced as a linebacker. Louis,...
NFL Draft recap 2026: A look at each Steelers pick, plus commentary, analysis
The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the 2026 NFL Draft with 12 picks, starting with the 21st overall in the first round. Here’s who they picked. 2026 Steelers Draft Picks: Round 1, Pick 21 Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State Steelers select Arizona State OT Max Iheanachor with 1st-round pick For the third...
Green Bay takes Penn State defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton in 4th round
With an elite ability to get to the quarterback, Penn State defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton etched his name into the program’s football history books, as his 23.5 sacks rank sixth all-time by a Nittany Lion. After being chosen in the fourth round (120th overall) Saturday by the Green Bay Packers...
Penn State offensive lineman Drew Shelton drafted in 4th round by Cowboys
At Penn State and throughout the NFL Draft process, Drew Shelton was overshadowed by teammate Vega Ioane. Shelton, a two-year starter at left tackle for the Nittany Lions, played directly next to Ioane at left guard, with Ioane being picked 14th overall by the Baltimore Ravens. While he didn’t garner...
Day 3 of the NFL Draft: What to expect
On the final day of the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, what’s on tap? Players expected to make an appearance include Ryan Shazier, James Harrison, Joey Porter Jr., Lynn Swann, Heath Miller, Damar Hamlin, Jack Sawyer, Troy Fautanu, Roosevelt Nix, Vince Williams and Jaylen Warren. Already, hundreds of thousands of fans...
Tim Benz: What the selection of Drew Allar means for the Steelers’ quarterback roomVideo
During Monday’s pre-NFL Draft press conference, new Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike McCarthy made his thoughts known about the size of his quarterback room. “I believe in having three. Potentially, we’d love to have four if we can make one work on the practice squad,” McCarthy said. After drafting Penn State...
NFL Draft-driven restaurant traffic a tale of haves and have nots
McFadden’s Irish pub boasted a line down North Shore Drive on Thursday afternoon. The bar between PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium usually doesn’t get jam-packed until late at night, but business was booming most of Thursday and Friday. The reason why is hard to miss. McFadden’s is within eyesight of...
Public transit throughout Pittsburgh region emerges as star of NFL Draft
Whether rolling down the busway on a Football Flyer or screeching beneath the Allegheny River on the T, riders say Pittsburgh’s free public transit has proved to be one of the real winners of the NFL draft. Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s plan and free shuttles have generally held up under the...
