Pittsburgh Steelers legend and current Arizona State wide receivers coach Hines Ward is coming back to Pittsburgh for the 2026 NFL Draft to support ASU WR Jordyn Tyson . Tyson is one of 16 players who will be in attendance at the draft.
"Whoever he ends up with is going to get a real one. He's gonna make some plays his rookie season," Ward said, via Justin LaCertosa of The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State.
Tyson is one of the best wide receivers in this year's class. And WR is a glaring need for the Steelers. In nine games last season, Tyson caught 61 passes for 711 yards (11.7 average) and eight touchdowns. In 2024, when he played 12 games, Tyson recorded 75 receptions for 1,101 yards (14.7 average) and 10 touchdowns.
Ward is honored to be by Tyson's side at the draft.
"It's the man above that brought us to it … He wanted me to tag along and be a part of that. I wouldn't miss that day for the world," the Steelers legend said.
Tyson was hampered by a hamstring injury in 2025, forcing him to miss three games. Ward said Tyson took on leadership role while sidelined.
"He sounds like me. … He just wants to help the team in any way he can," Ward said of Tyson in November, via José M. Romero of the Arizona Republic. "Some of the players aren't going to come up to me and ask questions, because they don't want me to know that they don't know it. But they'll go to 'JT' first to get them on the right path."
Ward told the Arizona Republic that his main goal as a coach is to mold players into good men.
"I love developing kids. That is my 'why?'" Ward said. "When they go on, some may go on to the next level, some may not. But it's really about getting the man right. Hopefully, they take some of the coaching things, life lessons that I've taught, and maybe those are life lessons that they will carry with them so that when they have their family, they're going to have high standards for their family as well."
Tyson is one of the players that will play at the next level. And it might even be for Ward's former team.
Several mock drafts have the Steelers landing Tyson at No. 21 overall .
"I think the Steelers would absolutely love if Omar Cooper Jr. fell here, but instead the Tyson fall stops at Pittsburgh," CBS Sports' JP Acosta wrote . "Tyson's injury history raises some red flags, but his athleticism and ball skills are outstanding and fit well on the outside or in the slot. After DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. (both two years away from 30), the wide receiver depth falls off a dramatic cliff. Tyson can help right away and be their guy in the future when they decide to draft a quarterback."
Durability issues are a major concern with Tyson, however.
Tyson suffered a major knee injury in 2022, tearing his ACL, MCL and PCL while at Colorado. He then missed most of his first season with the Sun Devils after transferring while recovering from the same injury. Along with the hamstring injury, which he suffered last season, he had a collarbone injury the campaign before that.
Ward thinks it's laughable that analyst are doubting Tyson. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network recently questioned Tyson's toughness .
"I chuckle sometimes because they try to write the narrative he's not physical … One thing about the NFL is a business. Anything they could do to get you at a cheaper rate, they're going to do it … I can guarantee they'd love to draft you as cheap as possible," Ward said . "When he popped it [hamstring] in the third quarter, I tried to pull him out. A lot of scouts didn't know the story … He said, 'Coach, I love my brothers … if this is gonna be my last game, I want to do all I can … He single handedly on that last drive led us down all the way and helped us win the game … People questioning JT's toughness, I just laugh at it."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers Legend to Attend NFL Draft with Star Wide Receiver
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