Steelers Draft Iowa All-American KR

The Pittsburgh Steelers have made their first Day 3 pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.

In the fourth round at No. 121 overall, the Steelers selected Iowa wide receiver/kick returner Kaden Wetjen.

Wetjen joins a number of his former college teammates, including Pittsburgh's final pick of the third round this year in offensive lineman Gennings Dunker as well as 2025 third-round running back Kaleb Johnson, 2025 fifth-round defensive lineman Yahya Black and safety Sebastian Castro.

A consensus All-American in 2025 who was the Big Ten's Return Specialist of the Year each of the last two seasons, Wetjen racked up 1,203 yards and two touchdowns on kick returns to go with 891 yards and four scores on punt returns over that span.

Wetjen will immediately help Pittsburgh out as a dynamic weapon on special teams while potentially receiving some occasional touches on offense as well.

Oct 25, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver Kaden Wetjen (21) gets yards after the catch as Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Kerry Brown (14) attempts the tackle during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Can Wetjen Contribute on Offense?

Not only is Wetjen likely the best return man in this year's draft class, but he could also emerge as one of the best in that role fairly quickly into his NFL career for the Steelers.

"Number one, he makes great decisions, good ball security, and then he is, what I refer to as, he's a catch-run-cut player," special teams coordinator Danny Crossman said. "A lot of guys are looking to cut maybe before they need to. He is fearless, and he's not going to make the cuts until he has to, and he can do it late. He's good in a tight area, can make the shallow cuts. So, he really brings a really good skill set in the return game and especially how with the new rules in kickoff return those vertical one cut runners have been very successful over the last couple of years and we think that's what he'll bring to the Steelers."

His involvement on offense is a question mark at this juncture, however. Wetjen closed out his time at Iowa with just 197 yards and a touchdown on 23 catches while rushing for 132 yards and two scores across 23 attempts.

According to Pro Football Focus, Wetjen logged 209 offensive snaps for the Hawkeyes in 2025, with 130 of them coming on the outside, 71 in the slot and nine in the backfield.

At 5-foot-9 and 193 pounds, Wetjen is best suited to play out of the slot or the backfield rather than splitting out wide for Pittsburgh. He is an unrefined receiver with poor technique and route-running, but he's still a big-play threat every time he touches the ball due to his speed, making him a prime candidate for designed touches in Mike McCarthy's offense.

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