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Eli Heidenreich from the Naval Academy is an ideal NFL Draft pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is expected to be targeted in the middle rounds due to his strong local ties and championship background.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers and Eli Heidenreich are the perfect match.
As the NFL Draft approaches, it's not the kind of thing many people would be talking about. Heidenreich isn't a flashy first-round prospect, and there's a lot less speculation pre-draft about the later rounds.
But the superstar from the Naval Academy is exactly the player the Steelers should target in the middle rounds.
For one, he was a state champion at Mt. Lebanon High School locally.
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It's much more than that, too.
Navy's offense is obviously not an NFL-style operation, but in Heidenreich's case, that may simply increase his versatility.
He ran 77 times for 499 yards (6.5 yards per carry) in 2025 and also set Navy records by catching 51 passes for 941 yards. He scored nine offensive touchdowns.
His physical traits match the production, too.
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Heidenreich measured 6-feet tall, 198 pounds at the Combine. That could work in a backfield or as a receiver.
He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds.
His vertical jump was 35.5 inches, and his broad jump was exactly 10 feet.
The Navy grad did 16 reps of the bench press.
Eli Heidenreich is viewed as a good pick for the Steelers due to his strong performance at the Naval Academy and his local ties as a state champion.
Before the NFL Draft, Eli Heidenreich was a state champion at Mt. Lebanon High School and had a successful collegiate career at the Naval Academy.
Eli Heidenreich is expected to be targeted in the middle rounds of the NFL Draft.

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This is a legitimate athlete, and the Steelers and any other team would be wise to consider him both for his positive locker room presence as well as the variety of ways he could contribute on the field.