The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Kaden Wetjen, a wide receiver from Iowa, with the 121st overall pick in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 25, 2026.
Wetjen appeared in 40 games for Iowa, starting seven, and recorded 23 receptions totaling 197 yards and one touchdown over three seasons.
He excelled as a punt returner, accumulating 954 return yards with an average of 17.7 yards per return and scoring four touchdowns.
Additionally, he returned 56 kickoffs for 1,538 yards, averaging 27.5 yards per return, and scored two touchdowns.
Wetjen ranks first in Iowa’s history with a career punt return average of 17.7 yards and third for kickoff return average at 27.5 yards.
His total career punt return yards of 954 place him 10th in Big Ten history.
Wetjen is the only player in Iowa program history to score a rushing, receiving, kickoff return, and punt return touchdown in the same season.
He holds the school record for six total return touchdowns, consisting of four punt returns and two kickoff returns.
Wetjen’s two kickoff returns for touchdowns tie for first in program history, while his four punt return touchdowns tie for second.
He tied for first in Big Ten single-season history with three punt return touchdowns in 2025 and ranks third for career punt return touchdowns with four.
Wetjen is one of two players in Iowa history with three return touchdowns of over 80 yards.
He achieved six games with over 100 return yards throughout his career.
In 2025, Wetjen set the Iowa single-season record with 563 punt return yards.
He recorded four punt returns for 182 yards, including a career-long return of 95 yards for a touchdown, in a 47-7 victory over UMass in 2025.
This long return tied an Iowa and Big Ten record and set the record for the longest return in Kinnick Stadium history.
His 182 punt return yards in that game ranked fourth in Big Ten single-game history.
Wetjen also returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in a 38-28 win at Rutgers, tying a school and Big Ten record.
This marked the sixth 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Iowa’s program history and the second of Wetjen’s career.
He is the second Hawkeye to achieve an opening kickoff return for a touchdown, joining C.J. Jones, who did so in 2003.
The kickoff return was the 45th 100-yard return in Big Ten history and the 25th in a league game.
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