Steelers Accused Of Pre-Planning 2026 NFL Draft's Best Moment For Marketing Purposes

The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone with the Pittsburgh Steelers making 10 of their projected 12 selections. It was quite a haul for the front office, but it wouldn't be far off to call it underwhelming based on how everything took place. The team went from taking a polarizing wide receiver prospect to an offensive lineman in literally a matter of minutes because of some last-second drama with the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. Omar Khan and Art Rooney II are likely thrilled about how everything turned out, but only time will tell if the class is regarded as a successful one.

It's pretty clear that the players taken on one of the first two days will be in good shape when it comes to making the 53-man roster, barring injuries. For others, it could be an uphill climb. The odds are not in favor of all 10 individuals making the team, so it opens up the opportunity for discussion about which ones are on the outside looking in.

One of the better stories throughout the event in the Steel City was when Eli Heidenreich got selected by the hometown organization in the seventh round. While he is going to have to perform extremely well to turn into a contributor, it's hard to deny how awesome it was when the Steelers took him 230th overall. It seemed as if he was going to go undrafted, but Pittsburgh came through in the last second.

During a fan chat on Wednesday hosted by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac, the reporter was asked about Rooney being in the draft room and if some kind of marketing was involved with certain picks. Specifically, Heidenreich was brought up and the insider fully believes that the decision was made to end the draft with a bang.

"I think it had everything to do with that last pick," Dulac wrote. "A feel-good moment, obviously planned and orchestrated in advance. Why else hold on to that seventh-round pick? And what better way to use it, even if he doesn't make the team. A great theatrical way to end the draft in your hometown."

Dulac is close with the franchise, so his comments shouldn't be taken lightly when he accuses the front office of doing something such as this. Overall, it's fair to argue that seventh-round picks rarely make rosters, so the Steelers were completely fine to bring in someone like Heidenreich. However, it does add some more fuel to the fire for fans who have been upset with how Rooney has run the team in the last decade or so.

Heidenreich does have the potential to be a relatively sneaky late-round pick. He has the tools that translate to the NFL level, and he also will never be questioned regarding his ability to work hard. Dulac's comments will upset a portion of the fan base, but it's not necessarily the action of taking the do-it-all offensive weapon that should be frustrating.

The idea of orchestrating this well in advance has to come into question. Heidenreich was a late addition to the green room list in which he watched the event from there. He then had an amazing moment that has been widely considered as one of the draft's better overall storylines. The Steelers always had a plan to take him, and it just comes off as interesting if Rooney was solely thinking about marketing, and not contributions on the football field.

Steelers Might Actually Have A Spot For Heidenreich

Late-round selections are always going to need to find a way to be a difference-maker on special teams. That will be the case for Heidenreich, but he also could find himself contributing on offense if given the opportunity. If he finds a way to outperform Riley Nowakowski throughout training camp and the preseason, the Steelers could decide to use Heidenreich in a fullback-type role instead of the fifth-round pick in Nowakowski.

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