Steelers draft Cameron Heyward’s brother, Connor, a Michigan State tight end
Call the Pittsburgh Steelers the team of brotherly love.
With their sixth-round pick, the Steelers made it four sets of brothers on their roster by taking Michigan State tight end Connor Heyward with the 208th overall pick. Heyward is the younger brother of Steelers All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward.
At 5-foot-11, 233 pounds, Connor Heyward followed in the footsteps of his father, former Pitt All-American Craig Heyward, by playing running back when he began his college career. His role evolved to the point he is considered an H-back or fullback-type tight end who can be a special-teamer and versatile chess piece on offense.
Steelers tight end coach Alfredo Roberts said he views Heyward as a tight end but added that his versatility would be utilized.
Guess I got a roommate @ConnorHeyward1
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) April 30, 2022
The Heywards join T.J. and Derek Watt, Terrell and Trey Edmunds and Carlos and Khalil Davis as sets of brothers on the offseason 90-man roster. Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt were All Pros this past season, with outside linebacker Watt winning the NFL’s defensive player of the year award.
Derek Watt is a fullback who is due $2.75 million in salary this season, the final of a three-year contract he signed as a free agent in 2020. The addition of Connor Heyward could make Watt expendable, especially in light of the $4.7 million salary-cap hit he’s due.
According to Spotrac.com, Watt has the highest scheduled salary-cap hit for a fullback in the NFL in 2022 — more than $1.2 million more than No. 2 C.J Ham of the Minnesota Vikings.
Heyward was honorable mention all-Big Ten as a senior after having 35 catches for 326 yards and two touchdowns receiving. He is 23 years old, almost 10 years younger than Cameron, who is entering his 12th NFL season and is a longtime Steelers’ captain.
The consensus among the scouting community is that Connor Heyward doesn’t have high-end athleticism but has a defined floor as, at worst, a core special-teams player. The Steelers have two assured tight ends in Pat Freiermuth and Zach Gentry, along with a No. 3 in strong blocker Kevin Rader.
Derek Watt played only 6% and 7%, respectively, of the Steelers’ offensive snaps the past two seasons. The team rarely deployed a fullback despite struggling in the running game. Watt did rank third on the Steelers in special-teams snapped played with 332 in 2021.
The Davis brothers are defensive linemen and Trey Edmunds a special-teamer and reserve running back. Terrell Edmunds this past week signed a one-year, $2 million deal to return for a fifth season as the Steelers’ starting strong safety.
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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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