It's becoming an unwritten rule that Pittsburgh Steelers fans are well aware of—if Pittsburgh's brass doesn't meet with a player face-to-face ahead of the NFL Draft, they won't be the selection in the first round. The Steelers are the only team in the league who have drafted players in Round 1 that they met with on 30 visits in each of the past five seasons.
So not having Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane on the list of visits was a disappointing sign. That changed on Tuesday.
Just nine days before the 2026 NFL Draft, ESPN's Brooke Pryor reported that the Steelers finally 'Vega' Ioane in for a pre-draft visit... and just in the nick of time.
Ioane has been a Steelers fan-favorite since early in the pre-draft process. The Penn State product put together excellent film in his 2025 campaign and is considered the consensus top guard prospect in the 2026 class. Now he's officially on Khan's draft radar.
Vega Ioane is officially in play for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Round 1 of the NFL Draft
Before the reported 30 visit this week, the Pittsburgh Steelers appeared to show no interest in Ioane during the pre-draft process. This doesn't mean they couldn't have drafted him in the first round; however, it would have gone completely against the draft trends we've witnessed under Omar Khan.
If the Steelers hold true to their strategy of only drafting players that they bring into the facility for pre-draft visits, Ioane joins a short list of Round 1 candidates for Pittsburgh that currently includes USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston, Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano, Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, and San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson.
Vega is universally considered a top-15 prospect in the class, and while we can argue that the value of taking a guard in Round 1 isn't as high as an offensive tackle or wide receiver, there's no questioning the talent.
Ioane has a prototype blend of size, strength, mirroring ability, and athleticism for the position that makes him a high-floor guard prospect with Pro Bowl upside. Some would argue that there's never really a sure thing when it comes to draft prospects, but Ioane is about as safe as they come.
Meanwhile, Steelers fans have been banging the table for Ioane to be in consideration for Pittsburgh's top draft pick. After veteran left guard Isaac Seumalo left in free agency, Ioane would fit like a glove as a Day 1 starter while developing into a future anchor of the offensive line.
Because of his impressive talent and a lack of overall depth at the guard position in this class, there's hardly a guarantee that Ioane will be on the board when the Steelers are on the clock with the No. 21 overall pick. However, there's always a chance he slips through the cracks, and with 12 total selections at hand, Khan has the firepower to jump up a few spots and land the Penn State star.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' odds of selecting Vega Ioane looked grim, but they just skyrocketed, thanks to his recent 30 visit with the team.
Add us as a preferred source on Google