All articles tagged with #kaden wetjen
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Kaden Wetjen in the fourth round after his Shrine Bowl standout, signaling belief he can translate his return prowess into offensive value and ongoing development under an offense-focused coaching staff, despite Wetjen's limited receiving targets at Iowa.
The Steelers signed fourth-round pick Kaden Wetjen from Iowa to a four-year contract. Wetjen, a standout returner who racked up 954 punt-return yards and four TDs, plus 1,538 kickoff yards and two TDs in college, earned consensus All-American honors in 2025. Special teams coach Danny Crossman lauded his fearless, smart return ability and dual return skills, expecting him to boost the Steelers on kickoff and punt returns.
Pittsburgh hosted a record 805,000 fans for the 2026 NFL Draft as the Khan–McCarthy era began, with the Steelers drafting 10 of 12 picks including two offensive-line pieces, another offensive weapon, a few safeties and a developmental quarterback; Day 3 brought Kaden Wetjen (No. 121) to boost the return game, Riley Nowakowski (No. 169) as a versatile fullback, and hometown favorite Eli Heidenreich (No. 230) for an emotional ending, signaling a focus on special teams and multi-positional offense.
The Steelers’ Day 3 picks—Kaden Wetjen, Riley Nowakowski, Gabriel Rubio, Robert Spears-Jennings and Eli Heidenreich—drew mixed grades from NFL analysts: Wetjen was praised as an immediate special-teams and slot upgrade, Nowakowski lauded for versatility, Spears-Jennings viewed as high-upside defensive depth, and Heidenreich generated buzz as a versatile back, while Rubio’s value prompted caution. Overall, it’s a credible Day 3 haul fitting Omar Khan’s pattern of finding contributors in late rounds.