The Pittsburgh Steelers are not expecting a ton of contributions from their 2026 rookie class, but that's nothing to panic over. For the most part, these prospects will be learning as backups for the first year or so while maybe getting some snaps here and there. This should give them plenty of time to refine their mechanics so that when the 2027 offseason program starts up, they're ready to truly compete for a starting role. Fans and the team itself won't have a good idea of just how good or bad this class is until maybe 2028.
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Steelers rookies during rookie minicamp on May 9, 2026.
For one rookie, however, his future may already be in jeopardy. While making an appearance on The North Shore Drive Podcast, Christopher Carter spoke about one rookie who doesn't seem to have much of a future on the team.
"[Kaden Wetjen] wasn't a supreme receiver; he wasn't even a big utility receiver for Iowa," Carter said. "He was a guy that caught screen passes and quick passes. When the defense left him alone, he was fine, but every time I looked at him when he tried to run a route downfield, or was being covered by a cornerback, it didn't go well... I’m not even sure there’s even a future for Kaden Wetjen to be a fourth wide receiver in the Steelers' offense."
The consensus surrounding the draft was that the Steelers reached hard in the fourth round when they selected Kaden Wetjen, as he was seen as a guy with very little offensive value. He has taken some reps at wide receiver during the offseason program, but that is not exactly indicative of how much he will be used on offense in 2026, or ever. That's never been his strong suit.
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Steelers' Kaden Wetjen catches a ball over his shoulder during offseason workouts.
Wetjen was selected that high because of how elite he was in the return game during his time with the Iowa Hawkeyes. It has been so long since the Steelers had any sort of consistent, high-quality kickoff / punt returners, so they saw that as a massive need. Drafting a pure special teamer that high is definitely questionable, but if it works out, there won't be any real complaints.
Steelers May End Up Burying Wetjen On The Depth Chart
The problem with this pick lies in who they drafted later on. Eli Heidenreich also has return man capabilities, but unlike Wetjen, he has some skills on offense as a utility man. Carter brought that up as well, and he even mentioned that the seventh-round pick may just be an all-around superior player to the fourth-round pick. All of a sudden, a reach with potential might just lose his chance to reach that height.
With the lack of capable returners on the team, Wetjen and Heidenreich will be in direct competition to see who the better return man is throughout training camp and preseason. It would be very tough for both of them to make the 53-man roster due to the number of established veterans already at wide receiver and running back. Draft stock could be a factor, but it really shouldn't be.
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Steelers running back Eli Heidenreich on the field during rookie minicamp in 2026.
Heidenreich has shown the ability to work on offense during his time with the Navy Midshipmen. Despite the fact that this isn't just about who the better return man is, it would be very hard for the Steelers to not take that fact into consideration when analyzing who should be kept and who should be cut. It also helps that Heidenreich is more fit to help out on kickoff and punt coverage as a gunner than Wetjen.
The former Hawkeye likely won't make it by just being a slightly better returner and a higher draft pick. He has to be the clear-cut superior player on both kickoff return and punt return to where Heidenreich's value elsewhere can't make up for the difference in return abilities. If not, Wetjen might just find himself on the practice squad while wondering why he got drafted so high.
What do you think about reaching for Wetjen possibly being a mistake? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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