NFL Draft category, Page 7
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...
NFL Films and Pat McAfee celebrate Pittsburgh with ‘The Football Town’Video
The NFL Draft is 60 days away, but its first local event will arrive much sooner on the screen of the Kamin Science Center’s Rangos Giant Cinema. “The Football Town,” a celebration of Pittsburgh’s gridiron genealogy, premieres Saturday to science center visitors. “This is our first real activation headed up...
Steelers head to NFL combine for 1st league event under new coach Mike McCarthy
Mike McCarthy has said he is impressed with the composition of the Pittsburgh Steelers roster. Next week, for the first time as the team’s coach, McCarthy will get a first-hand look at players who could upgrade that roster. The annual NFL combine in Indianapolis gets underway Monday with prospect interviews...
NFL Draft analyst: Trading picks might be right move for Steelers
As the owners of 12 draft picks, the Pittsburgh Steelers can add premium players to the roster, but those newcomers might not all arrive in this April’s draft. General manager Omar Khan could trade some picks, possibly to add a veteran player or additional selections in a deep 2027 draft,...
Pitt Athletics to host block party complementing NFL Draft
The 2026 NFL Draft isn’t just for fans of the pro game anymore — Pitt Athletics has announced that a three-day block party will take place during the April festivities in Pittsburgh. “We’re excited to partner with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust to create a one-of-a-kind experience for our fans during...
Tim Benz: Having the draft in Pittsburgh won’t make the Steelers take a QB … but it might make it harder to pass upVideo
When it comes to the notion of the Steelers taking a quarterback in Round 1 of this year’s NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, TribLive’s Mark Madden had this to say during this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast. “Ain’t no pop like the quarterback pop,” Madden said. “Art (Rooney II) wants to get...
Steelers enter pivotal part of offseason as Pittsburgh prepares to host NFL Draft
The offseason began with a new head coach and a revamped staff of assistants in place for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The front office brain trust, however, remains in place with general manager Omar Khan and assistant Andy Weidl, which means don’t expect many changes in the way the organization conducts...
Pitt, Penn State players invited to 2026 NFL combine
Nine football players from Penn State and two from Pitt received invitations to participate in the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. They will be among 319 prospects in attendance Feb. 23-March 2 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the NFL announced Wednesday. Players will perform medical exams, interviews and on-field drills...
With Super Bowl in the books, NFL teams can soon start work on roster construction
The arrival of the offseason doesn’t mean the NFL takes time off. A Super Bowl champion was crowned Sunday and the draft is still two months away, but the league’s calendar is far from empty. In the days ahead, teams have free agents to sign, potential draft picks to evaluate...
