The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Navy running back/wide receiver Eli Heidenreich 230th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Heidenreich got one of the biggest crowd reactions of the weekend when he was selected. The Navy alumnus is from the Pittsburgh area and attended Mt. Lebanon High School. While it was a cool full-circle moment for Heidenreich to be selected by his hometown team, he was moments away from heading down south.
Appearing on The Christian Kuntz Podcast, Heidenreich opened up about his draft day experience and revealed that he already had planned to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent before being selected by the Steelers.
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“I feel like I felt every possible emotion that day,” Heidenreich shared. “My agent was talking to Tampa Bay, and I agreed kind of like that I would sign with them in preferred free agency. So, I was kind of set there and now I was sitting and all of a sudden, I got that phone call, and I pick up and it was Omar.”
Things changed fast for the dynamic playmaker, who was ready to join former Steelers special-teams coach Danny Smith and 2025 team MVP Kenneth Gainwell in Tampa Bay. Now, Heidenreich gets a golden opportunity to play for his hometown team and have an immediate role in his rookie season.
What makes Heidenreich such a fascinating player is the fact that he played multiple positions on offense during his time with the Midshipmen in college. It is unclear where the Steelers would prefer to see Heidenreich play, but his versatility could allow him to earn a spot on the final 53-man roster.
Heidenreich could certainly provide value on special teams as well as on offense. The Steelers made a point to add rookie return specialist Kaden Wetjen in the fourth round. It would not be shocking to see Heidenreich serve as the second return man on kickoffs while playing a rotational role as a running back and receiver.
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It’s safe to say that the Mt. Lebanon kid is happy to be home playing for the Steelers. Heidenreich has instantly become a fan favorite with his draft day walkout and will be a player to watch in training camp to see how he is utilized.
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