As city officials, sports media and NFL fans praise Pittsburgh for hosting the draft last week, local small businesses are claiming the economic expectations fell flat. “It was slow,” restaurant manager Eric Fennelo told WPXI-TV.

Western Pennsylvanians will soon get a chance to take home a piece of the NFL Draft. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh’s Pittsburgh ReStore will sell a collection of authentic NFL Draft furniture from the event’s green room.

Here are some of the most common thoughts and storylines surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers 2026 NFL Draft, and here is why they are overreactions.

The NFL draft 2026 in Pittsburgh kicked off Thursday, the beginning of a three-day event that's expected to be the largest in the city's history.

The NFL Draft in Pittsburgh set a new attendance record of 805,000 over three days, the league announced, breaking the previous record of 775,000 fans set in Detroit in 2024. The NFL has taken the draft on the road since 2015 to various league cities, where it has become a marquee event.

The Steel City has always been awash with running back talent, including two Hall of Famers.

In the 6th round with the 210 overall pick, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Notre Dame DT Gabe Rubio. With the 210th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, we select DE Gabriel Rubio. pic.twitter.com/dZBfq9wA6r

Mark Ingram II has instilled a hatred in his son of the Pittsburgh Steelers, even at an early age. The Baltimore Ravens invited Ingram as a special guest at the NFL Draft to announce pick No. 45. Ingram had much more planned than just speaking into the mic and saying a name at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvaniaa.