The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had potentially the most prized UDFA prospect in the 2026 draft in their grasp on draft day. However, 28 picks before Navy running back Eli Heidenreich was set to sign with the Bucs, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him, and ended their chance of selecting the intriguing prospect.
Heidenreich spilled the story recently on an episode of The Christian Kuntz podcast.
“My agent was talking to Tampa Bay, and I agreed that I would sign with them in preferred free agency,” Heidenreich said on the podcast. “So I was kind of set there, and now I was sitting, and all of a sudden, I got that phone call, and I pick up, and it was Omar [Khan].“He was like, ‘Ready to be a Pittsburgh Steeler?’ And I was like, ‘Holy crap.’”
Heidenreich was selected with the 230th overall pick. He was in attendance at the draft; he is local to Pittsburgh, and due to his service in the Navy, the selection ended up being a very emotional moment to close out the draft weekend. Had the Steelers not made that pick, there is a good chance that Heidenreich would be on the Buccaneers right now.
Eli Heidenreich Would Have Been the Most Prized UDFA in the 2026 Draft
GettyRunning back Eli Heidenreich almost signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a UDFA.
While he was a seventh-round pick and teams consistently passed on him, he was one of the most interesting prospects in the entire draft. That is because he was a wide receiver in college and became Navy’s all-time leading receiver. He was used in the rushing game, but mostly on draws, sweeps, and end arounds.
The Navy offense limited what he could show NFL teams, but he consistently flashed as the best player on the field. Beyond that, he went to the NFL combine, competed in most drills, and tested similarly to star running back Christian McCaffrey.
A potential running back who is highly athletic and valuable in the passing game sounds intriguing. Of course, he is coming from the Navy, so he was not quite training for the NFL during his time. There is also a lot of projection to what he can do in the NFL. That is why the Bucs did not draft him. However, they were intrigued by the potential.
Pittsburgh Steelers Steal Heidenreich from Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Steelers being the team that stole Heidenreich from the Bucs is interesting given the ties the two teams have. The Bucs signed Kenneth Gainwell to play running back from the Steelers. Gainwell is a pass-catching back. So, the Bucs were looking for depth behind Gainwell, while the Steelers looked for a Gainwell replacement.
The Bucs also hired special teams coordinator Danny Smith away from the Steelers this offseason. Heidenreich likely would have started his career earning it on special teams with Smith. So, it is interesting to note that the team most familiar with Smith and the team that Smith currently works for were the two teams linked to Heidenreich.
The hope in Tampa Bay is that this doesn’t become one of the biggest “what ifs” of the 2026 draft.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post AFC Foe Snatched Buccaneers’ Draft Sleeper appeared first on HEAVY.