As has become a custom in recent years, NFL teams roll out the red carpets for current and former players and top fans, when it comes to the NFL draft.
In recent years, the likes of the late Franco Harris, Ryan Shazier, LaMarr Woodley and more have announced draft picks for the Steelers. This year, two current players and two fans will announce one pick each for the Steelers in the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit April 25-27.
According to Steelers.com, defensive end and reigning Walter Payton Man of the Year award winner Cameron Heyward will announce the Steelers’ first-round pick on Thursday night, which currently sits at No. 20 overall.
Following Heyward, fourth-year tight end Pat Freiermuth will announce the second-round pick at No. 51 overall, too.
Freiermuth has a unique angle on announcing a draft pick, considering he was the player the late Franco Harris announced for the Steelers at No. 55 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft coming out of Penn State.
“It was awesome,” he recalled about Harris announcing his selection, on the Podward State podcast. “I always gave him crap whenever we would hang out and get dinner and stuff, how he mispronounced my name on draft night. He was always like, ‘They told me before, but I got nervous’. He was a great mentor to me. Grabbing dinner and stuff a lot with him and his wife, Dana, they’ve been great to me in Pittsburgh.”
Of course, Harris did butcher Freiermuth’s last name, but who hasn’t. That generated some good-natured ribbing from Freiermuth to Harris as the two developed a great relationship not only as Steelers, but as former Penn State standouts.
Hopefully, Freiermuth doesn’t mispronounce the name of the player the Steelers select on Friday night.
Outside of Heyward and Freiermuth, Steelers fans Juan Soto — not to be mistaken for the New York Yankees outfielder — and Travis Peters, a U.S. Army veteran, as part of the NFL’s Inspire Change social justice initiative, will announce picks.
Soto, according to Steelers.com, is from Morelia, Mexico, and was selected earlier this year as the Steelers International Fan of the Year. Peters, through the Inspire Change initiative, the NFL and S.H.I.E.L.D 1 — a non-profit started by NFL players to accelerate economic mobility in under-resourced communities — will be highlighted by the NFL, which will host a special event during draft week.
