Steelers Draft Local Hero, Eli Heidenreich

0:00On April 30, Pittsburgh Steelers snagged Eli Hydenreich, a 19-9 Hydenreich, a Myroh offer, Lebanon kid from the Naval Academy, with their second 7th round pick in the 2026 NFL draft. The local hero showed up in his dress blues and the crowd went wild in the draft theater. Steelers listed him as running backslash-wide receiver, keeping things mysterious right out the gate. Earlier, they grabbed Riley Noah Kowski from Indiana in the 5th round, but Coach Ramonchen Young made it clear he is a fullback, not a tight end like. His college listing, for Hydenreich, Navy called his spot Snipe, a versatile role where he lines up like a wide receiver, but blocks hard and plays everywhere. Navy's offense used to be all run heavy triple option, dead last in passing, but new coordinator Drew Chronic mixed in modern passes starting in 2, 1024. That unlocked Hydenreich, turning him into Navy's all-time leader in receiving yards and touchdowns over two seasons. Hydenreich says his foundation is pass-catching,

1:02with nearly 1,000 yards last year, but he is team-first and comfy at either spot. His athletic score hits 9.30 as a running back, matching stars like Christian McCaffrey, and almost as high as a receiver. Steelers' depth chart is stacked ahead of him at both positions, so expect creative use. Maybe that Snipe versatility in motions and mismatches to keep. Defense is guessing all season.