Steelers select hometown athlete with their final pick of the 2026 NFL Draft

PITTSBURGH — The Steelers added a hometown athlete to their roster with their final pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

With the 230th pick, the Steelers selected Navy running back Eli Heidenreich, who is also a Mt. Lebanon native.

Heidenreich was obviously emotional as he walked down the tunnel to the Draft stage after his name was called.

“It was pretty incredible,” Heidenreich said about that moment in his first press conference. “I turned that corner and you see the city skyline in the background and then the crowd is 90% black and gold... it was such a cool moment; everything just kind of came togehter.”

Heidenreich then made his way to a stage in the middle of the crowd, where he waved a terrible towel as the crowd chanted, “Here we go, Steelers.”

“This city rocks and more people need to realize what goes down here,” Heidenreich said. “For me to be able to go out there and kind of contribute to that and be a part of this event was really special.”

In his three-year career at Navy, Heidenreich had seven rushing and 16 receiving touchdowns. He carried 169 times for 1,157 yards and received 109 times for 1,994 yards.

Now he’s ready to get to work for the Steelers.

“The biggest thing about me, you’re getting a football player,” Heidenreich said. “On the offensive side of things, you’re getting some versatility. On special teams, I played all four phases in college, so I’m able to contribute there and make a difference.”

Heidenreich says he thinks he matches the mindset the Steelers were built on -- toughness and grit.

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