PITTSBURGH — Channel 11 has team coverage at the NFL Draft for the first day of Picksburgh.
PHOTOS: Pittsburgh NFL Draft Day 1
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Steelers draft offensive tackle with 21st pick in 2026 NFL Draft
The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting support for their offensive line with their first-round draft pick.
As announced by Pro Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis, the Steelers selected Max Iheanachor, an offensive tackle from Arizona State University, with the No. 21 pick at the 2026 NFL Draft in their backyard.
Iheanachor is 6 feet, 6 inches tall and started 12 games for the Sun Devils at right tackle in 2025. He was also named second-team All-Big 12 Conference in 2025.
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Mixed reactions to Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-round draft pick
Reactions are mixed about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-round draft pick.
Channel 11’s Rich Pierce spoke with fans at the draft who told him what they thought about the newest member of the Black and Gold.
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PRT asks for patience as thousands of people head home from NFL Draft’s first day
Crowds formed at the Gateway T station Thursday night when the NFL Draft let out.
Pittsburgh Regional Transit said that there are several two-car trains that can move 430 people at a time, but with tens of thousands of people trying to get out, it is impossible to move everyone at once.
WPXI caught up with some of the several thousand who came Downtown from all over the region.
We spoke with a lot of fans who opted to take the T to the draft.
While we were at the Potomac Station this afternoon, our cameras caught the trains filled to capacity.
We also spoke with some folks who actually drove into town and some people who opted to take an Uber.
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Steelers seemingly lose intended first-round draft pick to Eagles, reports say
The Steelers seemingly lost out on their intended first-round draft pick at the last second, according to a report.
The Eagles traded up with the Cowboys to draft USC wide receiver Makai Lemon with the 20th pick. The Steelers ended up taking Arizona State University offensive tackle Max Iheanachor with the 21st pick.
But, as NFL Ian Rapoport reports, it would seem that the Steelers had originally hoped to draft Lemon. Team leaders were calling Lemon because they wanted to draft him next when the Eagles completed the trade and also called, and ultimately secured the pick.
Jeremiyah Love becomes first Notre Dame RB drafted in first round since Jerome Bettis
Jeremiyah Love broke Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis’ records at Notre Dame, and now the NFL Draft has tied the running backs together again.
Love was the first running back off the board when the Arizona Cardinals selected him with the third overall pick. It’s the first time a Notre Dame running back was selected in the first round since the Los Angeles Rams drafted Bettis with the 10th overall pick at the 1993 NFL Draft.
Love, who finished third in Heisman Trophy voting, played three seasons with Notre Dame, rushing 2882 yards for 36 touchdowns. He also had 63 receptions for 594 yards and six touchdowns.
Raiders draft Heisman-winner Fernando Mendoza with first overall pick at 2026 NFL Draft
The Las Vegas Raiders surprised no one with the player they selected with the first overall pick at the 2026 NFL Draft.
The team selected Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who has been their expected pick for months.
“I’m just looking forward to get to work, prove it at the next level,” Mendoza told ESPN immediately after being drafted.
Fans marvel at newly unveiled Market Square during first day of NFL Draft in Pittsburgh
If you’re looking for the heart of the NFL Draft excitement in Downtown Pittsburgh, Market Square is hard to miss.
Throughout the day, the area felt more like a festival than a viewing spot, filled with music, games and fans from across the country.
“Oh my god, the atmosphere is amazing! What better way to spend Steeler Nation than here in Market Square?” Michael Kalor said.
A live DJ, interactive booths and plenty of photo opportunities have turned the square into a separate go-to area for the draft experience.
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Brand new Arts Landing offers enjoyable escape from crowds for NFL Draft visitors
The brand new Arts Landing has been a nice escape for fans at the NFL Draft.
“It’s very open, you know. You can play cornhole. You can play college football on the PlayStation over there. Throw the football. It’s very open. You can just kind of do whatever, eat, drink, I mean, who can complain?” Commanders fan Luke McMillan said.
Arts Landing is hosting a Pitt block party that runs through Saturday during the draft.
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Security efforts working as planned at NFL Draft, visitors say they feel safe
Security is very tight for the NFL Draft. It’s a massive, collaborative effort from local, state and federal agencies. As of now, there are no known credible threats.
Police were in boats patrolling the three rivers, and in helicopters watching from above the Acrisure Stadium.
On the ground, officers were on nearly every corner.
Gilman says this security plan has been in the works for more than a year.
“The plan has been in place and you are seeing it. Worked out exactly as we had hoped,” Gilman said.
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What is available at the NFL Draft Fanatics Store?
The main Fanatics NFL Store is located inside the Draft Theater perimeter on the casino side of Acrisure Stadium. We took a look at some of the merchandise they have inside.
They have it all, from hats with the draft logo and bridges, to a yellow shirt with “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood” written on it.
We even saw a Pittsburgh draft t-shirt featuring a Primanti’s sandwich.
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NFL Draft visitor raising money for former football teammate, co-pilot killed during 911 attacks
Tons of people fanned out on the North Shore, but one man stood out from the crowd.
Randy McKillop wore a Batman cape with terrible towels stitched inside.
He is in Pittsburgh celebrating his birthday, but he is also working to raise money to build a memorial for his friend, with whom he played football in high school.
That friend is Michael Horrocks. He was the co-pilot of United Flight 175 on September 11, which was hijacked and flown into the second tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.
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Mayor Corey O’Connor using NFL Draft to shine light on Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor is looking to shine the spotlight on the city through the NFL Draft.
For O’Connor, it’s been a four-month sprint to get ready for the draft.
On Thursday, he met with football fans outside the draft stage.
“It’s finally here. It’s exciting. We greeted everybody in line, a hundred people this morning. They’re from all over the world,” O’Connor said.
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Draft visitors descend upon freshly reopened Market Square businesses, enjoy Primanti Bros.
One of the longest lines in Pittsburgh had nothing to do with the NFL Draft.
People waited to get into Primanti Bros. and the line started long before the lunch crowd.
“We love Primantis in Texas—traveling all this way, I had to grab a sandwich,” Matt Cafrell said.
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NFL Draft reunites fans of various teams in Pittsburgh
Hundreds of diehard fans representing so many teams came through the gates of the NFL Draft in droves starting at noon.
Many of them told Channel 11 have been waiting for this moment since the day they heard the NFL Draft was coming to Pittsburgh. We met a group of men who are in their 60s.
They told us they had to figure out some logistics, but committed to attending the draft together.
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