It’s been an interesting offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers, one that will get even more interesting during next week’s NFL Draft.
The Steelers have seven picks in the draft, starting with the 20th overall pick. Of Pittsburgh’s picks, four are in the first three rounds. And while Pittsburgh is currently devoid of a fifth-round pick, don’t be surprised if general manager Omar Khan trades his way into that round.
In that same vein, Steelers fans also shouldn’t be surprised if the man known as the “Khan Artist” elects to trade the 20th overall pick. While the Steelers usually don’t trade their first-round picks, Khan’s short time on the job has shown that he is willing to make big moves with the hope of building a roster that can bring another Lombardi Trophy to Pittsburgh.
While it wouldn’t involve a first-round pick, another possible trade candidate for the Steelers is Broncos wideout Courtland Sutton, who reportedly was a no-show for the start of Denver’s voluntary workouts due to his contract situation. If Denver is willing to part with him, the Steelers have resources via draft capital to get a deal done.
The Steelers’ biggest positional needs entering the draft are at receiver, interior offensive line, and cornerback. Pittsburgh may decide to trade up in order to acquire one of the top prospects at one of those positions, or trade back in order to acquire more draft capital. The Steelers could also trade the pick for an already-established player.
So, what are some possible moves the Steelers could make during the first round? Let’s take a look.
Trade with Seahawks
- Steelers receive: 16th overall pick, WR Tyler Lockett
- Seahawks receive: 20th overall pick, 98th overall pick
This would help the Steelers in two ways. It would give them the chance to jump in front of the Jaguars (who need help at cornerback) to select one of the top-rated cornerback prospects. That player may be Alabama’s Terrion Arnold, who was recently hailed by SEC Network’s Cole Cubelic as “probably the most gifted defensive back prospect in this draft.”
Pittsburgh would also get its coveted veteran wideout in Lockett, who had three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in Seattle with Russell Wilson throwing him the ball.
For more draft coverage, you can hear in-depth analysis twice a week on “With the First Pick” — our year-round NFL Draft podcast with NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. You can find “With the First Pick” wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc.
Trade with Bears
- Steelers receive: 9th overall pick
- Bears receive: 20th and 84th overall picks
Pittsburgh has recent trade history with Chicago, so the odds of the two doing business during this year’s draft aren’t too shabby.
The Bears have the Nos. 1 and 9 overall picks, but they only have two other picks after that (the 75th and 84th picks). This deal would give Chicago another pick and would give the Steelers a top-10 pick for only the third time this century.
The Steelers could use the No. 9 pick in a plethora of ways. They’d have their choice of selecting either one of the top receivers, cornerbacks or linemen in the draft. Possible options include wideouts Rome Odunze and Malik Nabers, offensive tackles Duke Barton and Taliese Fuaga, and Quinyon Mitchell, CBS Sports’ top-ranked cornerback prospect.
By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge Paramount’s Privacy Policy.
Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
Trade with 49ers
- Steelers receive: WR Brandon Aiyuk, 31th overall pick, 63rd overall pick, 132nd overall pick
- 49ers receive: 20th overall pick, 51st overall pick, 84th overall pick
There’s a lot to digest here. You’ve surely read all the reports about the Steelers’ possible interest in Aiyuk, who doesn’t appear to be happy with his current contract situation. The 49ers may elect to trade him, but it won’t be cheap. The Steelers want a veteran wideout, but they probably aren’t willing to give up too much.
A much simpler trade would be Aiyuk in exchange for the Steelers’ second-round pick (along with other compensation, likely in the form of future mid-round picks), but for sake of this exercise, I have to create a trade that could play out in the first round.
With the above trade, the 49ers and Steelers are swapping first and second-round picks (the 49ers get the better pick in each round). In addition, the 49ers would receive the Steelers’ third-round pick that was acquired in the Kenny Pickett trade to Philadelphia. This would allow the Steelers to still be able to draft in the first three rounds and, by acquiring the 49ers’ 132nd pick, they get a pick in what would have been a dead zone between the fourth and sixth-rounds.
The best part of this trade would be that the Steelers didn’t have to give up too much in order to acquire Aiyuk, a talented, young receiver whose best football should still be ahead of him.
The 2024 NFL Draft will take place from April 25-27 in Detroit. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly updated draft order, mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.
