It's been well over a month since the Pittsburgh Steelers traded with the Indianapolis Colts for veteran wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. at the start of free agency, but we just now saw how the full details of the trade have finally materialized.
While Pittsburgh and Indianapolis worked out the trade compensation to finalize a deal on March 9, we know exactly which players have been selected from the capital that was exchanged in the trade. With the Pittman deal, the Steelers sent the Colts their sixth-round pick (No. 214 overall), while Indy sent Pittsburgh a seventh-rounder (No. 230 overall) in the pick-swap exchange involving Pittman.
Now that these picks have been made, we have the full trade details in front of us.
With the 214th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected Ohio State defensive lineman Caden Curry. Curry is coming off an exceptional season that included 16.5 tackles for a loss and 11 sacks on a star-studded Buckeye defense in his senior season in 2025.
Not long after, the Steelers used the 230th overall pick acquired in the Michael Pittman trade to select Navy running back Eli Heidenreich.
The Pittsburgh Steelers still emerge as winners of the Michael Pittman Jr. trade after draft picks unfold
Like Curry, Heidenreich is coming off a phenomenal 2025 season. In addition to earning 1,440 scrimmage yards and nine touchdowns, the impressive running back earned an outstanding 92.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. This was his second straight year earning a grade over 91.
Though he's a running back, Heidenreich is an exceptional receiver, as 941 of his scrimmage yards came in the receiving department. He also averaged 18.3 yards per reception in his Navy career.
Heidenreich is a solid athlete, too. At the 2026 NFL Combine, the Navy product ran a 4.44 40-yard dash to go with a 35 1/2'' vertical. However, Heidenreich is a bit light at 6'0'' and 198 pounds, which may have led to him nearly falling out of the NFL Draft entirely.
While it's far too early to tell who will have a better NFL career between Curry and Heidenreich, it's easy to label the Pittsburgh Steelers as winners in the trade with the Colts. Khan was able to secure a starting-caliber receiver in Pittman while moving back just a handful of spots in the 2026 draft and selecting a running back who has been a huge difference-maker for his team.
There's no guarantee that either Curry or Heidenreich will make the final 53-man roster of their respective teams, but getting Michael Pittman Jr. for really nothing more than an adjusted contract is an effortless victory for the Steelers.
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