Daylen Everette wasn’t the rookie grabbing all the headlines when Steelers training camp opened, but that picture may be changing fast.
Pittsburgh’s 2026 draft class came in with 10 picks, and most of the early buzz centered on the first three names off the board: Max Iheanachor, Germie Bernard and Drew Allar. Once camp started, Allar became the rookie drawing the most attention.
Even so, one of the Steelers’ third-round selections is apparently forcing his way into the conversation. Daylen Everette, taken with the second of Pittsburgh’s three third-round picks, has turned enough heads that one team insider believes the Steelers may have landed a major find.
According to Gerry Dulac, the Steelers may have hit a “Home Run” with Daylen Everette
Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote, “They think they might have hit a home run with Everette, their third-round pick from Georgia. He has been the best rookie at training camp, and they are putting him to the test to see if they are right.”
That kind of praise is striking for a player who entered camp viewed mostly as a depth piece. Pittsburgh added Everette to a cornerback group that already changed this offseason, signing Jamel Dean in free agency and bringing back Asante Samuel Jr. That left the team with options, and the early expectation was that Joey Porter Jr. and Dean would start while Samuel Jr. handled the third cornerback role.
With that setup, Everette was projected as more of a developmental addition than someone ready to push for a major job right away. Coming out of Georgia, he was seen as a talented corner who still had parts of his game to clean up. A longer adjustment period seemed reasonable.
Instead, the rookie has apparently made a much stronger impression than expected this early. Dulac’s report suggests the Steelers are already testing him to see whether the early buzz is real.
There is still a long way to go. Training camp is one thing, and the preseason and actual games will tell the fuller story. But being described as the best rookie in camp is not small praise, especially when it comes from someone who is around the team.
Everette’s path to a bigger role may not be as far off as it looked a few weeks ago. Porter Jr.’s contract situation remains unresolved, Dean is already 29 years old, and Samuel Jr. is currently ahead of Everette on the depth chart. That opens the door, at least eventually, for the rookie to climb into a more meaningful role if his progress keeps going.
No one should rush to label him a future star yet. Still, the early signs are hard to miss. A third-round pick expected to provide depth is suddenly one of the most talked-about names at Steelers camp, and if Dulac’s reporting holds up, Pittsburgh may have found a lot more in Everette than it bargained for.
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