The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2026 NFL Draft class was finalized over the weekend, with the three-day event now behind them. Pittsburgh set the record for the largest NFL Draft day one crowd on Thursday, as NFL fans from all over the world flocked down to the city's North Shore. Now the roster will start to finalize over the next four months ahead of the 2026 regular season.
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The stage is set for the 2026 NFL Draft held in Pittsburgh, PA.
The team selected Kaden Wetjen, a wide receiver from the Iowa Hawkeyes with the 121st overall pick in the fourth round of the draft. While he is a receiver, he mentioned Monday how dynamic he could be in the Steel City. He did not expect to be picked as early as he was in the draft either. In fact, he was on the golf course whenever the franchise reached out to him via phone.
Wetjen discussed with Iowa's News Now how he could be used when he takes the field in the black and gold.
"They were just seeing what kind of person I was," Wetjen said. "They, they talked a little ball and some play-calls during the season that we had. And how they think I should be used, being a running back, motioning out to receiver, and being involved in the backfield as well. I told them I played running back in high school, so it's nothing that's foreign to me. Completely open to it."
In 2025 at Iowa, Wetjen had 20 receptions for 151 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, he saw 15 carries for 79 yards and two touchdowns. Most of the explosiveness to his game however, came on special teams with kickoff and punt returns. His best overall season came in 2024, where he had 26 kickoff returns for 727 yards and one touchdown, good for a 28 yard-per-return clip. He also 26 punt returns for 328 yards and one punt return touchdown.
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Steelers' Kaden Wetjen speaks with the media while at the podium during the NFL Scouting Combine in 2026.
In 2025, the yardage dipped just a little, but he scored more touchdowns overall. He had 16 returns for 476 yards and a touchdown, which was good for 29.8 yards per kick return. On punts, he had 21 returns for 563 yards and three punt return touchdowns.
Steelers Have A Chance To Rejuvenate Their Offense With Wetjen
General Manager Omar Khan and the Steelers selected wide receiver Germie Bernard in round two as well to complement their receiver room with Michael Pittman Jr. and DK Metcalf. The selection of Bernard was met with glowing reviews, specifically from one former legendary NFL wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. He gushed about the pick of Bernard, mentioning how gritty he is and the multiple ways he can impact football games.
Bernard will most likely be looked to be an impactful starter in the Steel City, but Wetjen provides some much-needed depth at the position. With Wetjen's ability to play several positions and his comments made on Monday, it will be interesting to see if he becomes a Swiss Army Knife-type of player on offense in 2026. For a team that was 25th overall in total offense in the NFL in 2025, utilizing Wetjen to be that dynamic under-the-radar impact player, would be a huge boost to their offensive output. One thing that was mentioned that new head coach Mike McCarthy likes is having several offensive weapons to use, and it appears Pittsburgh has just that for him in his inaugural season with the organization.
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Steelers' new wide receiver Germie Bernard scores a touchdown during the SEC Championship game with Alabama in 2025.
Following the draft and what the franchise did to improve in free agency, the offense should be much improved in 2026. Now, with what Wetjen discussed, they may transcend and rejuvenate their offense. While his college career suggests he mostly is used on special teams, Wetjen has the athleticism to be used in other positions, which may provide a huge boost for the Steelers.
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