Evan

@ThePoniExpress Cant go better than C+. Max and Eli carry it with some untapped ceilings. Everyone else are who they are or ST specialists. Considering the capital they had to not come away with more high impact players is disappointing

Steelers 2026 draft class. Grade it. 1-Max Ihenachor OT ASU 2-Germie Bernard WR Bama 3-Drew Allar QB Penn St 3-Daylen Everette CB Georgia 3-Gennings Dunker G Iowa 4-Kaden Wetjen KR Iowa 5-Riley Nowakowski FB Indiana 6-Gabriel Rubio DT N Dame 7-Robert Spears-Jennings S Okla 7-Eli Heidenreich RB Navy I give it a C+. How about you?

@Kazesosa @PittsburghSport Thats not how that works. Consensus board take the board values of a ton of different people, many of whom base their evals off of insider information they have. Once everything's averaged out thats the "consensus". And history say that board is a decent indicator of value

@PittsburghSport The idea that they "Reached" is based on journalists that make their own opinions, not necessarily those shared by NFL Teams. By that logic, 2 guys with 2nd round grades went in the first as well as a 2nd/3rd round guy. Banks, Miller, Rutledge, were monstrous "Reaches"

There’s the player and then there’s the value of the player given the draft pick. The #Steelers got some interesting players. But man they reached on so many of them. They could have had players ranked much higher. This is a huge test of the Steelers evaluations versus general consensus.

@AmandaFGodsey Its just a weird offseason as a whole. Draft wise felt like they had no plan or true guys considering the capital they had to move around. Not necessarily bad players but either they were a reach, a much better player was available or they just dont raise the ceiling

My first thought about the Steelers 2026 draft class as a whole: I don't really get it? I think they got some good players, but I don't quite understand the direction of it. One of the stranger draft classes I can remember them having in recent memory.

@JamesE6699 @MarkMaddenX Its definitely not true of all fans. Theres probably a good third of the league that arent in win now mode any given year. Accepting that allows you a different approach to roster construction and offseason approach that actually lets you rebuild/retool on the fly.

@MarkMaddenX Wow, shoot fans for actually believing in their team. All sports fans do this, it's not exclusive to "Steelers fans". But whatever helps you sleep at night!

Problem with Steelers fans is, you think the team can win every year. This roster is nowhere close. Allar is a lottery ticket for the long-term. As such, it’s an excellent, logical pick.

@MPFrazer We've battered bout this one already but I cant be happy bout that one since they passed over a day one starter who I and many viewed as better than Dunker and arguably not that far behind Ioane for beat guard in the class

@rollingsevans Nah, my favorite pick in this draft was Gennigs Dunker. Day-one starter.

Maaaaaaaaan I REALLY want to be excited about the Steelers drafting Eli Heidenreich. He's been a name I kept coming back to all draft-season long. I hope Mike McCarthy can dial up some packages for him, because he's one of the best gap runners in the country.

@Steelers_DB Lol bit dramatic but the fact we arent wanting to down a fifth of whiskey after at least one pick this weekend has to count for something, right?

The Steelers got the next Christian McCaffrey lets goooooooo

@MichaelBeck56 The process feels like it focused heavily on personality guys instead of focusing on the best dudes. This draft wasnt on where you looked to find your All star but there were tons of starters and role player guys. Its the exact draft you cant mess up to set up the next 5 years

Ultimately on paper the Steelers are better than last season (anticipating a Rodgers return) But I do think they could have had a stronger draft. The process has been strange

@CarneyMedia When you could have taken him at least 2 rounds later yes its a reach and a bad pick. The entire draft has been a picture perfect example of bad process from this team

Some might call it a reach, but this is a position the #Steelers needed to fill & they did with their fourth round pick. They selected Kaden Wetjen, WR/Returner out of #Iowa. Wetjen has returned 4 punts & 2 kickoffs for touchdowns in his last two years with the Hawkeyes.

@MPFrazer Ans they passed over pregnon, a supremely more talented guard prospect multiple times to do so. They took a DB who shouldn't ever see the field over multiple solid options left. Used a 2nd on a guy that projects to be a wr3 at best at the NFL level.

@rollingsevans The previous pick was Dunker.

For those of you saying Wetjen should have been taken in R7. He fills a very obvious need. His film in returns is as good as it gets.

@MPFrazer They already wasted the previous picks so they didnt have that luxury and needed to get just the absolute best guys available. But they seem intent on burning this draft to the ground Also who cares about the return. You shouldn't need to waste a pick on that if you coach well

@rollingsevans Because he's a return freak, and because he was their 6th pick. They had the luxury of taking a shot there.

@BreidenFehoko Even Bernard wasnt great. You spent a 2nd rd pick on a guy that everyone sees as a ceiling wr3 in the league. Thats not good process. They only seem concerned with guys with attitudes not guys who can actually play the best football

I love Omar Khan but outside of Germie Bernard this draft has been an absolute disaster.

@Alex_Kozora They wasted/got bad value on all the day 2 picks so you had to draft BPAs today. Instead we get a guy that no one even dreamt of drafting til at least round 7. Why waste the 4th on him? Grab him in the 6th l. You still are overpaying but at least you arent lighting it on fite

Don't look at Wetjen as just the round. This is the 6th player Pittsburgh's selected. When you have all those Day 2 picks, you can take a more niche (but still important) position like returner.

@Alex_Kozora Alex please. The guy was a fringe 7th rounder and we used a 4th round pick on him. Thats not home run. This is turning out to be the worst draft, since at least the Pickett year and likely before that. All in front of the home crowd. Thats shameful

Kaden Wetjen averaged almost 27 yards per punt (!!) return this season. Six career scores (4 punts, 2 TDs). Pittsburgh worst KR team last two years under new model. This guy is dynamic. Home run selection.

@PittsburghSport Value wise yeah but they had two opportunities to draft pregnon who was an insane value and just an overall better player. Thats the issue w everything this year. Theres been no process. Every pick has been reaches, weird fits, or bad value considering the board

Dunker may be the best pick of the Steelers draft - value for pick-wise. Solved OG issue.

@MinkahBurgh39 The issue isnt the ACL, or at least isnt the primary injury concern. When his medicals were done the other knee came back with concerns about degeneration iirc. Still cant understand how the math doesnt make sense yet, especially for a team that has so many picks.

I thought he’d go 12 and he’s still there in the 4th lol. Didn’t know his injury was that bad though

@FarabaughFB Cant comprehend why they passed twice on pregnon to take a guy who is significantly worse

Persona aside that will make him very popular, there's a good deal to be worried about with Dunker on tape. Usually, that's due to his hands getting wide. He does have an aggressive, physical demeanor, though.

@Alex_Kozora Bernard maybe. But a horrible draft so far imo. Day 1 was bad process. Day 2 was bad process and bad picks. Bernard was ok,but Allar was a huge reach w no risk of qbs going. Everett another reach on a guy who was bad this year. And passed on Pregnon for a worse guard.

You guys know my feelings on the Allar pick but a solid Day 2 overall. Smart trades, fit need and scheme with good value for Bernard and Dunker especially. #Steelers

@MPFrazer I like it. Would have rather had pregnon when he fell but bunker is a fine pick. The rest of this draft is our worst in years....

Gennings Dunker is almost certainly going to play G for the Steelers. Built for it, has the nastiness to play inside. Really like this pick.