NFL fans all over the country are reviewing their team’s draft picks. Over three days, 600,000 people inundated Green Bay, Wisc., to witness the draft in person. Next year, Pittsburgh will host the draft.
As a practice run, I made a road trip to Pittsburgh this year for the first day of the draft. Then continued on the road with my buddy Ken Sterner. We met at Dino’s Sports Lounge in Latrobe and took off from there.
Day 1 – First Round at the Pittsburgh Draft Party
The buzz in the first round was the defensive line versus Shedeur Sanders. Many national pundits predicted the Steelers selecting Sanders if he fell to them. On the other hand, a number of local reporters and most of the Steelers Depot contributors leaned toward Pittsburgh drafting a defensive lineman. Kenneth Grant and Derrick Harmon were mentioned most frequently with Walter Nolen a third alternative if the first two were gone.
Our first surprise was Miami taking Grant off the board at No. 13 overall. Then Arizona took Nolen at No. 16 overall. Were the injury rumors about Harmon true? We thought he was higher rated than both Grant and Nolen. And Shedeur Sanders remained available.
A young fellow sitting in front of us wore an improvised Jalen Milroe jersey. He believed Sanders would be long gone by the time it was Pittsburgh’s turn to select. He wanted the Steelers to select a quarterback. And Sanders was a steal in his opinion with Pick 21.
We crossed our fingers as the last couple teams bypassed Harmon. And Pittsburgh was on the clock. Most folks wanted Harmon, but a sizeable portion of the crowd chanted for Shedeur. And then it was over. Derrick Harmon was a Pittsburgh Steeler. Most of the crowd quickly departed Stage AE with a few mutterings at the pick. But most cheered.
Steelers Draft Party
Christian Kuntz recorded his podcast during the draft. His guests included Kendrell Bell, Louis Lipps, Payton Wilson, and Casey Hampton. Plus, on the second level Arthur Moats and Matt Spaeth were available to meet and take selfies with.
It was great to see these former players. But it was difficult to hear what they were saying during their interviews since the acoustics in Stage AE are horrible on the second level. Plus, they ignored the draft. They kept talking through the draft even when a selection was about to be announced. A few people were yelling for them to shut up so they could hear the picks.
Kuntz did pause the podcast for the Steelers’ pick. The crowd cheered when Derrick Harmon’s name was announced. Then they played “Renegade,” Kuntz and the podcast crew filed off the stage, and folks left. We settled into our seats to hear who Green Bay selected. But the screen went blank. The show was over, and they did not bother to show the rest of the first round.
I was underwhelmed at the draft party. No buildup to Pittsburgh’s pick. I would have played “Renegade” just before Pittsburgh’s selection. No real engagement with the fans other than to auction off a nice painting and throwing signed towels to folks on the first floor. And they did cut off the first round just after Pittsburgh’s selection.
Day 2 – Second/Third Rounds with side trip to Canton
Pittsburgh held firm and did not trade up or down on Day 2. It was a long wait for pick 83 in the third round. Ken Sterner and I both wanted a running back, but Shedeur Sanders was still available. Would Omar Khan scoop him up in the third round? Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart were selected in the first round. The Saints selected Tyler Shough in the second round.
We kept waiting for a run on running backs. Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton went in the first round as expected. Early in the second round Ohio State running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson were picked. Then R.J. Harvey was selected.
But Pittsburgh’s turn came up and a lot of options were still there. Shedeur Sanders and other quarterbacks like Will Howard, Jalen Milroe, and Quinn Ewers were still available. The Steelers need a quarterback. But among running backs we saw Dylan Sampson and Bhayshul Tuten. But Ken Sterner says it’s a no brainer. Kaleb Johnson is the best available. And Omar Khan made it so.
Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Scott Juba Collection
We watched Day 2 of the draft in Ohio. We were on a road trip. We departed Pittsburgh Friday morning and drove to Canton. Just 90 minutes from Pittsburgh, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a great stop for Steelers fans spending a few days in the area. Pittsburgh is well represented in the Hall. Along with all the busts of players, coaches, and contributors like Bill Nunn are displays from the Steelers throughout the years.
From Canton, we drove up near Cleveland to watch Day 2 of the draft at the home of Scott Juba and his parents, John and Corrie. The Jubas are originally from outside Johnstown, Pa. Their people hail from Slovakia and were Pennsylvania coal miners. John and Corrie settled in Ohio but remain avid Steelers fans. That tradition passed on to Scott. He has attended nearly every Steelers home game since 2015.
A fan since following Neil O’Donnell and his favorite Kordell “Slash” Stewart,” Scott began his Steelers memorabilia collection in 2015 when he started attending games. It is spectacular and includes many certified game-worn items. For example, both sets of autographed cleats that JuJu Smith-Shuster wore when he scored his two 97-yard touchdowns. He has a vast selection of Cam Heyward items. His collection includes autographed memorabilia with players going back to the 1970s, including Franco Harris, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Greene, and Jack Ham. All are displayed with photographs of Scott with the players.
Day 3 – Fourth through Seventh Rounds with Wings at Dino’s
We wondered what Pittsburgh would do on the third day of the draft. Pittsburgh had selected a highly rated defensive tackle and a running back through three rounds. Still there were a lot of holes to fill, including quarterback, wide receiver, offensive line and the secondary.
We drove from Ohio back to Pittsburgh. In the morning, we walked through the Heinz History Center, including the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum. A quick stop to fill up my cooler with Isaly’s chipped ham and some other items from Wholey’s along the Strip District. Then we drove to our starting point in Latrobe, Dino’s, to see some of the draft.
We met up with Kim Flanders and her son Jeffrey and daughter Tory. We discussed the picks from the first two days. We all wondered what would happen at quarterback.
We were a bit surprised when the Steelers selected Edge Jack Sawyer. Not a position of need. But he must have been high on the Steelers’ draft board. Some folks thought he would go as early as the second round.
Then Cleveland selects Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round! The Browns had already drafted a quarterback yesterday. Did they forget? Maybe the first quarterback they picked was a mistake. Dillon Gabriel was not that high on anyone’s list. We share some chuckles. Then the Steelers trade back and end up with another Iowa Hawkeye, Yahya Black. Double-dipping on the line. Huge guy to plug up the middle.
We say our goodbyes and we’re on the road. Then I message Ken, “Steelers got Will Howard in 6th. Have a safe trip rest of the way.” We never expected him to fall that far. And we are happy. It will be interesting to see how Howard and Sanders compare over the next few seasons.
We finish the draft with two players who may immediately contribute to special teams: LB Carson Bruener, who connects to the Steelers through his father who played tight end and now scouts for the Black and Gold, and then CB/PR Donte Kent.
Conclusion
A great road trip and a fun way to follow the draft. The Steelers maintained discipline and stuck to their draft plan. A lot of people shrieked about Shedeur Sanders falling so far in the draft. But if he is really that talented, he will become a franchise quarterback for some lucky team. But maybe Will Howard is that guy. They both have incentive to outperform their position in the draft.
I liked the Steelers’ draft. They filled some holes with players who may become contributors for the next several years. I believe Pittsburgh will make its big push for a quarterback in 2026 when it should have more draft capital to trade up.
I had a wonderful time traveling with Ken Sterner. And when we spoke with the Jubas and Kimmy, we all agreed, one of the best things about attending games and training camp is getting to meet so many fine people with a shared passion.
Your Song Selection
I always like to include some music. So many road trip songs. One of my favorites is On the Road Again performed by Canned Heat.
