Steelers snag local running back Eli Heidenreich in the seventh round, adding versatile physicality and leadership to their backfield competition.
The Pittsburgh Steelers took a few players with ties to Pennsylvania in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Quarterback Drew Allar is joining the Steelers after playing for Penn State. It was no secret Pittsburgh had its eyes on Allar.
In Round seven, the Steelers took another offensive player with ties to the city. Pittsburgh took running back Eli Heidenreich with the No. 230 pick from Navy.
Heidenreich is from Pittsburgh and played high school at Mt. Lebanon High School.
Heidenreich rushed for 499 yards and two touchdowns last season. He'll be an addition to compete for a role out of the backfield but can compete on special teams.
Scouting Report
Lance Zierlein of NFL Media projected Heidenreich as a sixth-round talent, so he could be a steal for Pittsburgh in the seventh.
"Versatile and productive, Heidenreich possesses good size and toughness," Zierlein wrote. "Most of his run production came on jet sweeps from Navy’s option attack, but he appears to lack the acceleration to outpace NFL pursuit as a wide runner. He was a strong tester, displaying the ability to take on a bigger chunk of route-running than he saw in college.
"He’s short-limbed with a limited catch radius, but he hangs on tight when it hits his hands. Teams will like the mentality and his special-teams potential, but he might lack the necessary athleticism to uncover on routes or elude tacklers with the ball in his hands."
What Eli Heidenreich brings to the Pittsburgh Steelers
Heidenreich believes his versatility is his strength. He thinks Navy prepared him to play at a high level in the NFL.
"Physicality, that's something we really pride ourselves on here at Navy; playing a physical brand of football," Heidenreich said, via ABC 7. "I spent four years at the Academy really developing as a leader.
"That's the whole point of these military academies: to develop you and have you fit and ready to go be a leader. Day one, I can come in and bring a high level of leadership into an NFL locker room."
It'll be interesting to see how much playing time Heidenreich will earn in Year 1. As a seventh-round pick, he'll have to battle to make a spot on the 53-man roster.