Study: Pittsburgh Steelers 2026 NFL Draft Picks And Interest Scores

With the 2026 NFL Draft now in the rearview mirror, I wanted to look at how the data from my interest and athletic score studies held up with the Pittsburgh Steelers new coaching staff, and provide some takeaways as well. Here is a quick review of what the scores measure:

Interest Score: Here, I configured a points system for the following important factors: college performance, body type, experience, age, position, competition level, pro day attendance, pre-draft meeting(s), and Senior/Shrine Bowl invitations/participation.

Athletic Score: Simply 11 combine metrics, excluding wingspan, and whether or not they were within a threshold in each metric of any player drafted at their position by the Steelers since 2013.

While I score every position (for several years), we only released the main positions of need in article form pre-draft. Here are the links to those articles:

Wide Receivers
Offensive Line
Defensive Back

For clarity, no adjustments were made to the scoring from the Mike Tomlin era. Let’s see the scores for the 2026 Steelers draft class.

One of the primary differences in this draft involved Pittsburgh’s first-round selection – Arizona State OT Max Iheanachor. A longstanding trend was broken, having a head coach or GM at the pro day, and/or bringing the player in for a pre-draft visit. Neither happened with Iheanachor, hence a lower 7.8 interest score than past first rounders (DL Derrick Harmon: 9.1, OL Troy Fautanu: 9.8, OL Broderick Jones: 9.8).

McCarthy mentioned planning to attend more pro days, but many fell through as he was building his vision and assembling a brand-new staff. He also mentioned he’ll probably attend more pro days in the future, so that will be interesting to monitor moving forward.

Another factor is the bad-look phone call, with Pittsburgh speaking to WR Makai Lemon before they were on the clock and getting jumped by Philly in a trade to select him. Lemon had a 9.7 interest score, tying for seventh out of all 2026 draft picks. He had multiple meetings, including a pre-draft visit, but also lacked HC pro-day attendance. I wanted to include that context, considering the storyline.

Even though the selection of Iheanachor surprised many, particularly not knowing the severity of Broderick Jones’ status (which would have boosted tackle position need score), he was comfortably above the average interest score of 6.6 in the 2026 draft class. That number was a bit lower than past drafts, mainly due to McCarthy’s lack of pro day attendance.

Iheanachor checked many other interest boxes, starting with a formal combine meeting. Other pluses were college performance, age, college experience, above-average pro day attendance, level of competition, and Senior Bowl. His seven athletic score also set new precedents, with shorter 3378 arms and 900 hands than past thresholds (3428, 948), and didn’t participate in agility (shuttle, three-cone).

Otherwise, the interest scores fared rather well for earlier selections. All six selections the Steelers made in the first four rounds had above-average interest scores.

Alabama WR Germie Bernard was the second-round selection, with a 9.3 interest score, tied for 14th in the draft class. Multiple meetings (pre-draft, combine), strong experience, level of competition, and pro day attendance. Good college performance and age, too. Ten athletic score lands him on the top right of the charts, checking all the boxes he participated in (no bench press).

The Steelers made three selections in the third round: Penn State QB Drew Allar (7.8 interest score), Georgia CB Daylen Everette (9.9), and Iowa OL Gennings Dunker (7.4).

Everette highlights the interest scores, tying for third-best in the entire draft class. Formal combine meeting, pro day attendance (including HC Mike McCarthy), age, experience, level of competition, Senior Bowl, and qualified in Alex Kozora’s most recent “What The Steelers Look For” study. College performance was the lowest (but still average) mark. Eight athletic score, with three DNPs (bench, agility).

Allar had the third-ranked interest score at QB, behind North Dakota State’s Cole Payton and Taylen Green of Arkansas, who were also pre-draft visitors. Allar met with Pittsburgh at the combine too, and was above average or stronger across the interest scores aside from Bowl game participation (invited, recovering from ankle surgery).

Dunker was one of the best values for Pittsburgh’s class at pick 96, in my personal opinion. In this study, the lack of meetings and mild pro day attendance with the Steelers lowered his interest score. Strong checking of all other interest boxes: college performance, level of competition, position need, Senior Bowl participation, experience, and above-average age. Ten athletic score, checking everything he did (bench DNP).

Iowa WR/return specialist Kaden Wetjen was Pittsburgh’s fourth-round selection, filling a huge need and role, but stirring up controversy over it being too early. 7.4 interest score – formally meeting with Pittsburgh at the combine. Experience, pro day attendance, and level of competition were pluses, while performance (at WR), age, and Shrine Bowl were lower marks.

Pittsburgh’s last five picks (round five and after) are where the interest scores waned: Indiana FB Riley Nowakowski (5.2), Notre Dame DL Gabriel Rubio (5.3), Oklahoma S Robert Spears-Jennings (5.1), and Navy RB Eli Heidenreich (5.5). Strong athletic scores were more prominent, except for the fullback.

Nowakowski was introduced at that position, filling the void of former Steeler Connor Heyward. The position hasn’t been selected often, so my main takeaway is to have a more complete athletic profile for it moving forward.

Nowakowski’s college performance, experience, and level of competition were his best interest scores. Age, lack of pro day attendance, and Shrine Bowl (not Senior Bowl) were lower scores. Seven athletic score, with a bench DNP, but setting new arm (3148), hand (868), and shuttle (4.61) thresholds.

Rubio had many fans saying, “Who?” He landed on my radar with a perfect 11 athletic score, truly in the mold of a Steelers defensive lineman. Strong interest scores were body type, college performance, age, and pro day attendance. No meetings, experience (injuries), level of competition, and lack of Senior/Shrine Bowl were lower marks.

Spears-Jennings was another perfect 11 athletic score and had value that fell later than his draft projections. Age, experience, and level of competition were his best interest scores. College performance, no Pro Day attendance, and the Shrine Bowl were lower marks.

Heidenreich is a chess piece in the Steelers’ offensive-heavy draft. Another strong athletic score (ten) in the later rounds in McCarthy’s first draft class.

Regardless of position label (RB/WR), Heidenreich missed just one athletic score, with smaller 2928-inch arms that set a new threshold at either position. Impressive to do at both positions. College performance, age, and experience were strong interest scores. No pro day attendance, level of competition, and Shrine Bowl were lower marks.

As expected, some new things came with the Pittsburgh Steelers first draft class with HC Mike McCarthy. It’s exciting to finally see how things panned out in the draft and to have a baseline for these studies moving forward.

I can’t wait to see the rookies in action and how the scores fare in the future. I hope you enjoyed the draft festivities as much as the Steelers Depot team.

What are your thoughts on Pittsburgh’s 2026 draft class? What about the interest and athletic scores? Thanks for reading, and let me know your thoughts in the comments.