The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed a trio of 2026 draft picks on Friday, the first day of the team’s rookie minicamp. Per the team, WR/RET Kaden Wetjen, DL Gabriel Rubio, and S Robert Spears-Jennings have signed their rookie deals.
The Steelers announced they've signed three draft picks:
– return specialist Kaden Wetjen
– defensive lineman Gabriel Rubio
– safety Robert Spears-Jennings
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) May 8, 2026
Wetjen’s rookie deal is expected to be worth roughly $5.5 million with approximately a $1.1 million signing bonus. His 2026 cap charge will be similar at roughly $1.17 million.
A star kick and punt returner in college, Wetjen was regarding by Pittsburgh as the draft’s best dual returner. At Iowa, he totaled six returns for touchdowns: four punts and two kicks. In 2025, he housed three punts and one kick, a dynamic player who changed the tone of several games. He ended his career averaging 27.5 yards per kick return and 17.7 yards per punt return.
Wetjen got more involved offensively in his final season, a versatile player who caught 20 passes for 151 yards and one touchdown. He carried the ball 15 times for 79 yards and two additional scores.
He was named a 2025 All-American.
Wetjen will serve a similar role with the Steelers. He’ll be given every chance to function as Pittsburgh’s kick and punt returner. The Steelers kick return units have been the NFL’s worst in the two seasons under the league’s dynamic kickoff model, while punt returner Calvin Austin III signed with the New York Giants in the offseason.
Pittsburgh’s last kick return touchdown occurred in 2017 when rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster ran one back against the Cleveland Browns. Wetjen will aim to become the first player in Steelers history to return a kick and punt for a touchdown in the same regular season.
His rookie deal is expected to be worth roughly $4.63 million, with about a $250,000 signing bonus. His 2026 cap charge will be a little under $950,000.
Off the radar of many draft analysts, Rubio fits the mold of a throwback run-stuffing Steelers’ defensive linemen. Measuring in at 6051, 321 pounds with 33 5/8 inch arms, Rubio struggled to stay healthy during his college career that had an obvious impact on his production.
In his career, Rubio posted just 66 tackles (7 TFL) with 3 PDs, 1.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble across 39 games. He made only eight starts, getting his first chance to crack the lineup after teammate Rylie Mills suffered a knee injury during the Fighting Irish’s 2024 playoff run. In 2025, Rubio tallied only 13 tackles and a half-sack, missing the final six games due to an elbow injury.
Throughout his college tenure, Rubio battled elbow, knee and foot injuries that cost him chunks of time.
When healthy, Rubio is stout against the run and plays with excellent effort. In 2024, he shined and held his own against Penn State OG and future first round pick Vega Ioane.
Like you, I didn't know much about #Steelers 6th round pick Gabriel Rubio. Turning on the tape – I get it!
Injuries hampered his career but there's high-level run reps all over his film. More than held his own against LG Vega Ioane in 2024 (he's No. 97). pic.twitter.com/E0imZkuMNB
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) April 26, 2026
Comparing him to Lawrence Guy, our scouting report concluded:
“Overall, Gabriel Rubio is a strong and throwback defensive lineman who is hard to find these days. Stout against the run, he works hard and showed consistently plus-level run defense reps. His pass rush is minimal though his motor gives him a little bit of value on extended plays.
Like several other of Pittsburgh’s Day 3 selections, his floor is higher than his ceiling. He could become a rotational base defensive end in the Steelers’ 3-4 system. If anything, the most notable part of this pick is recognition that despite a new coaching staff, the organization has the same profile it wants in its defensive linemen.”
Rubio’s father, Angel, was drafted by Pittsburgh in 1998. He currently works as a fire captain at a Missouri station.
Rubio will battle Logan Lee, Esezi Otomewo, Dean Lowry should he ultimately re-sign, and others for one of the final spots along Pittsburgh’s defensive line. If he fails to make the roster, he’ll likely end up on the practice squad.
Selected 224th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, Spears-Jennings’ rookie deal is expected to be worth $4.546 million. He’ll receive roughly a $166,808 signing bonus and carry a first-year cap charge of a little more than $926,000.
Considered good value in the seventh round, Spears-Jennings is a height/weight/speed prospect who ran 4.32 at the NFL Combine. A heavy hitter who forced four fumbles in 2024, he finished his college career with 178 tackles (8 TFL), 5 forced fumbles, 4 pass breakups, 2.5 sacks, and two interceptions. In 2025, Spears-Jennings tallied 59 tackles (1.5 TFL) with one forced fumble and one interception.
On tape, he’s a downhill hitter but a linear athlete who struggles to change directions. Fighting to make the roster out of camp, Spears-Jennings will rely on his deep special teams background to stick. His main competition will be Sebastian Castro and Darnell Savage should he end up signing.
Pittsburgh has seven more draft picks to sign, including first round OT Max Iheanachor. More signings could occur this weekend with all likely to be completed before training camp. Rookie draft picks do not have to be under contract to participate in rookie minicamp or the spring OTAs/mandatory minicamp.
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