From embarrassing start to teary ending, Steelers add intriguing draft crop | Opinion

Jarrett Bell, USA TODAYMon, April 27, 2026 at 10:27 AM UTC

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From embarrassing start to teary ending, Steelers add intriguing draft crop | Opinion

Time will reveal whether the mishap that Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan fell into during the first round of the NFL draft was as bad as it looked.

In one of the most dramatic episodes from the draft, Khan was on the telephone with Makai Lemon on Thursday night, poised to select the Southern Cal receiver with the 21st pick overall, when their conversation was interrupted by the news that the Philadelphia Eagles – having swung a trade with the Dallas Cowboys to jump ahead of Pittsburgh – were on the verge of drafting Lemon in the 20th slot.

Just like that, Lemon was one that got away.

“The draft, regardless of what round you’re in, you’re always getting thrown curveballs,” Khan told USA TODAY Sports after wrapping up the three-day draft on Saturday night. “If you have a good process and trust your board, things take care of themselves.”

Khan seemingly made an impressive pivot after failing to land Lemon. The Steelers snagged Max Iheanachor, Arizona State’s rising star of a tackle, with their first-round pick. Then in the second round, Khan took Alabama receiver Germie Bernard – with a reputation for creating yards after the catch like, well, Lemon – with the 47th pick overall.

Maybe years from now, if Bernard emerges into a star as so many homegrown receivers taken after the first round by the Steelers have over the years, the move that Khan couldn’t make might turn out to be the best move.

Especially if Iheanachor – the sixth of seven tackles drafted in the first round, before zero went in the second round – develops into a stud anchor for the front line.

Hey, Iheanachor got off to a good start for winning over the Steelers fan base. He was on the NFL draft stage for a moment on Day 2, furiously waving a Terrible Towel as the music blared and the crowd roared. Yet the optics of connecting with fans may be a lot different if he doesn’t live up to his first-round potential, just because of the circumstances. If Lemon blows up with the Eagles, Steelers fans may wonder what might-have-been – especially if Iheanachor and Bernard don’t cut it. Check back in two or three years.

More immediately, the NFL will review Khan’s contact with Lemon – the question being timing as the Steelers were not on the clock yet for the next pick, which may have violated NFL policy. It’s typical for the team on the clock to make contact with the player they are poised to select, informing the draftee of the impending pick and confirming his presence. Many years ago, that was more critical, and it might have been a ploy by some teams to tie up the phone line to disrupt the flow. Now that’s not an issue as players, if they’re not at the draft in the Green Room, can be seen in real time via “Fan Cams.” Presence confirmed.

In any event, the league will look into this case as part of its routine review of the draft.

“There was no ill intent with the phone call,” Khan said. “There’s a lot of excitement that revolves around the draft as you’re getting closer to making your pick.”

And that excitement for the Steelers – transitioning to new coach Mike McCarthy and an overhaul of the assistant coaching staff after nearly 20 years with coach Mike Tomlin – shifted on a dime.

Khan wound up making 10 selections, including seven picks for McCarthy’s offense. If this crop pans out, the Steelers draft will be remembered more for the pivot than the phone call. There are intriguing picks throughout the class that pop out for one reason or another.

Third-round Penn State quarterback Drew Allar gives McCarthy another developmental quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers (presumably, if the wily vet decides to return), alongside Will Howard, a fourth-round draftee last year. Khan calls Allar an “AFC North quarterback,” which can be interpreted as rugged and strong-armed. Make-or-break factor: Consistency? Yet investing one of their three third-round picks on Allar was worth it in a league with a premium on passers. As Khan put it, “The value just felt right.”

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Meanwhile, Georgia cornerback Daylen Everette brings speed (he clocked at 4.38 in the 40 at the combine), while guard Gennings Dunker brings a gritty Iowa pedigree – and flowing red hair.

Dunker’s Iowa teammate, Kaden Wetjen, should add instant pop to the special teams after winning the Jet Award the past two years as the nation’s top returner. In the fifth round, Khan may have found the replacement for the versatile, free agent-departed Connor Heyward, in Riley Nowakowski, a tight end/fullback from Indiana’s national championship team.

In describing his draft class, Khan repeated a theme.

“They won the spring,” he said.

Iheanachor’s stock rose with his impressive week at the Senior Bowl. Wetjen turned heads at the East-West Shrine game. Allar connected during his interview at the combine. They got a sense of Everette’s mental makeup during dinner the night before his sterling Pro Day workout. Dunker’s toughness came through during Senior Bowl practices.

“You just saw Steeler DNA there,” Khan said.

Then there was that final pick. The Steelers’ seventh-round selection of Eli Heidenreich, the slotback from Navy, brought the house down. It was some crowning moment.

Typically, Roger Goodell is nowhere to be found on Day 3, when they get around to the 230th pick overall. Yet there was the Commissioner, on the stage bear-hugging Heidenreich, a Pittsburgh native, who came decked out in his Dress Blue uniform, worn by midshipmen for formal occasions. Salutes were all over the place.

“I was getting a little choked up, watching all of that at the end,” Khan said.

Khan said that as good of a feel-good moment as Heidenreich’s pick was, he was chosen because of his resume and talent. Heidenreich, who will be granted permission to defer his five-year commitment to join the U.S. Marine Corps as an officer in order to pursue an NFL career, finished his collegiate chapter as Navy’s most accomplished receiving back (109 catches for 1,994 yards, with 16 TDs). He timed at 4.44 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the combine.

And, of course, Khan said, “He really won the spring. He showed up at the combine and every step of the way, there were positive interactions. He earned his way to being drafted.”

Now, for all of the winning in the spring, the Steelers are hoping this draft class has as much impact for winning in the fall – which might go a long way toward putting distance to a certain phone call that went awry.

1 / 0Roger Goodell shares hugs with players on the NFL draft stage

The NFL Draft regularly produces its most memorable moments off the stage, when selections end with a handshake or embrace from the commissioner.See the moments when draft night emotions peak as Roger Goodell greets players hearing their names called.Above, Texas Tech Red Raiders linebacker David Bailey embraces NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after he is selected by the New York Jets as the number two pick during the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium.

Contact Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pittsburgh NFL draft class full of 'Steeler DNA,' GM Omar Kahn says

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