The Pittsburgh Steelers appeared to catch their first draft pick of Day 3 in the 2026 NFL Draft by surprise. Not only was Iowa wide receiver Kaden Wetjen not prepared to land with the Steelers, he wasn’t really ready for any team to select him in the fourth round.
That’s evident by where he was when the Steelers selected him Saturday afternoon.
“Kaden Wetjen said was on the golf course with his friends when the Steelers drafted him,” wrote Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders. “He wasn’t expected to be taken so early.”
The Steelers chose him at No. 121 overall in the fourth round.
Although listed officially as a receiver, Wetjen focused primarily on returning kickoffs and punts at Iowa.
Wetjen led the Big Ten in kickoff return average and punt return average last year. He made the All-American team as college football’s best returner during the 2025 season.
At the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, Wetjen ran the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds. He posted a 1.58 10-yard split and recorded a 4.44 20-yard shuttle.
Steelers Pick Iowa WR Kaden Wetjen in 4th Round
Immediately after the selection, some Steelers fans questioned why the team selected a prospect expecting to be a much later pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. But Wetjen might have set his expectations too low.
Steelers Depot’s Tom Mead argued the Wetjen selection for the team wasn’t surprising. Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora called the Iowa product the best returner of the 2026 NFL Draft class.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein projected Wetjen to be a fourth or fifth-round pick.
“He’s a threat to flip the field at any time as a punt returner. He eludes or breaks the first tackle try and maneuvers around opponents in the open field with great vision,” wrote Zierlein. “Better hang-time and faster contain should slow his production, but he’ll still be a threat. He can handle pitch plays and swing passes from the backfield or shallow crossers and over routes as a slot receiver.
“Wetjen offers immediate value as a returner, while a crafty play-caller is likely to install packaged plays for him each week.”
In addition to his testing, Wetjen measured at nearly 5-foot-9 and a half feet tall and 193 pounds at the combine.
With the Hawkeyes, he scored three punt return touchdowns and a kickoff return touchdown during 2025 alone. Wetjen also had a kickoff return and punt return score during the 2024 campaign.
As a receiver, Wetjen caught 20 passes for 151 yards and a score last season. Finally, he had 79 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries during 2025.
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Wetjen was the second wideout the Steelers picked in the 2026 draft. The team moved up during the second round to grab Alabama’s Germie Bernard.
The pair will join a receiver room that D.K. Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. will lead during the 2026 campaign. The Steelers also came into the draft with Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek on the receiver depth chart.
Pittsburgh selected Wilson in the third round two years ago, but he has made little impact. Wilson will now face steep competition for playing time with Bernard and Wetjen both arriving in Pittsburgh this spring.
Additionally, the Steelers have receivers A.T. Perry, Cole Burgess, Brandon Smith, Max Hurleman and John Rhys Plumlee on the offseason roster.
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