The Pittsburgh Steelers have a roster capable of staying competitive. But there are still far too many holes on the roster for this team to be considered a real contender. One big step in the right direction would be to shore up the wide receiver position. Thus, arguably the top receiving prospect in a talented class, Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, looks like an attractive option.
The problem is, Tate is widely expected to be a top-10 selection. With the Steelers sitting at the 21st overall pick, the odds are slim to none that he falls that far, barring unforeseen circumstances.
If the Steelers really want Tate, they’re likely going to have to move up. To PFF’s Trevor Sikkema, that’s a move that would make some sense. During a mock draft on Wednesday, Sikkema had the Steelers trading with the Washington Commanders to move up to seventh overall to select Tate.
“I think if you’re Pittsburgh, what you’re doing here… To be honest with you, you’re moving up for Carnell Tate to be that wide receiver two for your offense,” Sikkema said.
Adding Tate as a WR2 would be a dream, and he’s probably capable of becoming a WR1 himself at the next level. He’s tall with a long wingspan and excels in contested-catch scenarios. He tracks the ball without issue, has a bit of athleticism, blocks well and understands defensive coverages. He’d certainly be a major addition next to DK Metcalf.
However, is Carnell Tate worth trading up for? Sikkema put together a potential trade package.
“They’ve got the ammo to move up. Especially to entice a team like Washington, we can give you a ton of picks. So what I’m looking at here for them. Let’s give them [Washington] No. 21, let’s give them No. 53 in the second round. Let’s give them No. 99, so they’ve [Steelers] got those two third-round picks still after all of this. And I think No. 135 gets the point value close,” Sikkema said on his PFF NFL Show. “But you still have those third-round selections.”
Essentially, the Steelers would be trading one first, one second, one third, and one fourth-round pick. That would leave them with the seventh overall pick, then two third-round picks (76, 85) left in the first two days. All in all, having three picks in the top-100 is far from the worst thing ever.
However, the Steelers would have fewer picks to use elsewhere. They’d go from having five picks in the first three rounds to just three, and would lose one of their fourth-round picks as well. Trading up can pay off, but with other needs on the roster, that would be a lot to sacrifice. Yet, the Steelers would still have nine total picks in this scenario.
There’s a long way to go, and players’ stocks will rise and fall before the draft in April. But for now, it’s an interesting idea to think about. Maybe adding Carnell Tate would help the Steelers finally solve their WR2 problem.
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