The rivalry between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers extends as far as the seating plan at the 2026 NFL draft. It seems the league will side with the Steelers and team president Art Rooney II, meaning bad news for Ravens fans set to attend the event at Acrisure Stadium on Thursday, April 23.
Rooney explained during a call to 102.5 WDVE’s Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show on Tuesday, April 21 (beginning at 1:29:41), how a sitting plan for fans filling a theatre situated outside the home of the Steelers appeared to favor Ravens fans.
According to Rooney, “On the normal seating chart, I noticed that the Ravens fans were sitting in front of the Steeler fans in one section of the draft theatre. So I asked [the league] to make that change, and they agreed to make that.”
Whether Rooney was trying to troll the Ravens or not is unclear, but NFL.com Senior News Writer Kevin Patra believes the Steelers chief “used his weight to stick it to the Baltimore Ravens.”
The rather bizarre episode is a reminder the tension between these two AFC North foes never subsides. Not even during the offseason.
A bit of one-upping by the Steelers only sets the stage for a pivotal draft for both teams as they each embark on a new era.
Ravens, Steelers Need Draft to Power Rebuilds
Last regular season’s thrilling, win-or-go-home finale didn’t favor the Ravens. Not when rookie Tyler Loop’s 44-yard missed field goal at the site of this draft sent the Ravens home and propelled Pittsburgh to the playoffs.
Ironically, those contrasting fortunes have been swapped for two old enemies treading the same path since the season ended. A path defined by new head coaches.
Super Bowl winner Mike McCarthy replaced Mike Tomlin with the Steelers, while the Ravens opted for rookie sideline general Jesse Minter to succeed John Harbaugh. The latter had been at the helm for 18 years, but missing last season’s playoff only added to a growing sense of underachievement in recent years.
It means Minter and general manager Eric DeCosta must nail this draft to ensure the Ravens can quickly get back on track. Fortunately, the team is well placed to add a necessary building block on either side of the ball with the 14th pick in the opening round.
Eric DeCosta, Jesse Minter Can Play It Safe in Round 1
The Ravens don’t need any splash trades on opening night. Not when they’re in a sweet spot of the first round, primed to come away with a core prospect at one of two levels of their offense. Particularly if, as Minter believes, the defense already has two budding playmakers from last year’s draft.
That decision will come down to how DeCosta and Minter prioritize giving franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson a new weapon or better protection. The latter scenario can be taken care of by the Ravens selecting a bulky interior offensive lineman who already has a fan in DeCosta.
As for adding a dynamic target to Jackson’s receiver corps, one draft guru believes the Ravens wouldn’t be reaching for a dynamic move tight end at 14 to replace Isaiah Likely.
Or perhaps former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Minter will stick to the area of the team he knows best. Then DeCosta can help out the first-year coach by taking a versatile edge-rusher to partner with veteran four-time Pro Bowler Trey Hendrickson.
Whichever direction they go, the Ravens will be keen to emerge from the first round, and this draft as a whole, better positioned to overtake the Steelers in 2026.
Steelers ‘Stick It’ to Ravens Before NFL Draft: Report