Steelers Rookie Grades: Early Evaluations Bring Excitement and Worry

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are 3-2 as they prepare to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In many respects, the season is off to a good start.

After all, the Steelers are 3-0 at home. Their offense is clicking. There are plenty of reasons for optimism in Pittsburgh.

One of the biggest reasons is the impact of their rookie class. After drafting 10 players and keeping another undrafted free agent on their roster, the expectation was clear. The Steelers needed immediate production from their first-year players, and from many of them, that's exactly what is happening.

Entering their sixth game of the season, here's how each Steelers rookie grades out.

Max Iheanachor: A-

Max Iheanachor should have been the starting right tackle to begin the regular season, and it's not a coincidence that the right side of the line has improved greatly since he and Brock Hoffman were inserted for Spencer Anderson and Dylan Cook.

Iheanachor has had bad reps over his first few games, but overall he's been excellent. He has quick hands and feet, he's incredibly strong, and he isn't easily fooled. The Steelers might just have their starting right tackle for the next five to 10 years with Iheanachor in the organization.

Germie Bernard: B-

Week 5 was a breakout for wide receiver Germie Bernard, but it was just a matter of time for the team's second-round draft pick. Bernard has quickly earned trust from quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and with injuries piling up, he was the team's top pass-catching weapon against the Indianapolis Colts. Bernard has made some mistakes, including some unforced drops that halted drives or led to turnovers, but he has also produced over the first five weeks. And he still has so much room to grow.

Daylen Everette: C+

The Steelers didn't envision Daylen Everette playing a large portion of the snaps on the outside, but after trading Joey Porter Jr., the team had no choice. In response, Everette looks like a serviceable starter. If they had paid a premium on the free agency market to bring him in, he'd be subject to far more criticism. But for a rookie, third-round pick, he's giving the Steelers a huge boost at a depleted position.

Gennings Dunker: N/A

A tough, tough blow was dealt to Gennings Dunker after a lower-body injury effectively ended his rookie campaign before it ever started. A bruising offensive lineman in college, the Steelers project him to be a starting right guard eventually. That plan will have to wait until 2027. Because of that, Mr. Dunker receives an incomplete grade for the time being.

Oct 11, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar (16) warms up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Drew Allar: C-

Drew Allar was the darling of training camp and the preseason. With the regular season one-third of the way completed, however, Allar's preseason is in the rearview. He made the roster but won't sniff the field unless multiple injuries occur. Perhaps in 2027, this pick rewards the organization, but in 2026 it's just an average pick.

Kaden Wetjen: F

The Steelers used a fourth-round pick on Kaden Wetjen, the most regretful choice of the 2026 draft. So far, the return has been anything but positive. He can't create splash plays on the kick or punt return, and he can't get on the field when the offense is out there. It's a harsh but realistic grade for a player who feels like an absolute misfit in Pittsburgh.

Riley Nowakowski: D-

As a special teams player, Riley Nowakowski is excelling. As a fullback, the primary reason he was drafted by the Steelers, there is nothing to evaluate. He barely plays outside of special teams situations, and that feels like the plan for the remainder of the 2026 season.

Gabe Rubio: C+

14 snaps on defense took Gabe Rubio from another non-contributing member of this class to an impressive depth find. Rubio got his first and only taste of NFL action in Week 5, but he was a stout presence along the line of scrimmage over that small sample size. The hulking defensive tackle is 6'5" and over 320 pounds, and he's already showing the traits of a tenacious run-stopper in the Steelers' front seven.

Robert Spears-Jennings: A-

The most consistent player in this rookie class is undoubtedly Robert Spears-Jennings. Since arriving in Pittsburgh, the safety out of Oklahoma has been rock solid. Regardless of the role, he succeeds. And now he's finally getting his due with the starting defensive group.

The Steelers landed a gem in RSJ.

Eli Heidenreich: D-

It's a bit unfair, like some of the other rookies on the roster, but the early returns are underwhelming for Eli Heidenreich. The seventh-round pick surprisingly made the 53-man roster out of training camp, but he's been hardly used in the regular season. In the past few weeks, he's been inactive on game days, and even with injuries mounting on offense, he still is unlikely to take on a larger role.

The Steelers like the talent and potential, but that's the end of the compliments for the athletic running back.

Kevin Jobity Jr.: D-

The undrafted free agent made the roster, but like so many others, is patiently waiting for his shot. He showed some impressive pass rush moves in the preseason, which kept him around in 2026. But we won't see that on the field any time soon.

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