On paper, it seems unlikely the Pittsburgh Steelers will make a dozen draft picks come this month’s NFL Draft. A haul unusual for any team and especially for the Steelers, conventional wisdom says trade some of those picks to be aggressive and move up in the draft. Omar Khan might do that. However, he’s also open to trading down to collect even more.
“I’m excited to have [12 picks],” Khan told Steelers analyst Max Starks in a video shared on the team’s YouTube channel Wednesday. ” There’s some good players in this draft, guys that can help us early and later in the draft. There’s opportunities to move up, obviously, if there’s a player we like.
“I’m not opposed to moving back if the opportunity’s there and getting more picks. That’s how good I feel about the draft.”
To be sure, Khan mentions a trade-up scenario. One he’s done before. In 2023, he climbed three spots to jump the New York Jets and select Georgia OT Broderick Jones. It’s possible he makes a similar and potentially even more aggressive move this year. One beat writer guarantees the team won’t make all three of its current third-round selections. Packaging one of those with No. 53 to move up high into the second round is a plausible scenario. As is Pittsburgh dealing multiple third-rounders to get back into the second round and make a pair of selections at No. 53 and the trade spot.
But Khan is leaving open the idea of moving down. He could trade for more 2026 capital expressing, as he often does, how good the draft class is. Pittsburgh making more than 12 selections is difficult to imagine with several selections unlikely to make the 53-man roster. But it would offer a rare chance to infuse youth into the roster and stockpile early-round picks. A move similar to the Seattle Seahawks’ recent classes. In 2023, Seattle made four picks in the top-52. That group that included CB Devon Witherspoon and WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba made up critical components of 2025’s Super Bowl run.
It’s also possible the Steelers trade for 2027 capital. However, most teams, especially quarterback-needy ones, will hold onto those selections for what could be a great ’27 class.
“Or we end up with 12 picks. Happy to have ’em,” Khan said.
In a roundabout way, Omar Khan is keeping all options on the table. Trading up wouldn’t be a surprise. It’s now expectation. Standing pat with all 12 isn’t likely, but the Steelers may want to take advantage of the chance to turn an old roster into a young one. And Khan is keeping the door open to trade down, which in turn could give him even greater flexibility to later trade up.
When it comes to trading during the draft, plans only mean so much. Once the picks start getting made, the board changes, and trade offers exchanged, it’s impossible even for general managers to know exactly how it’ll all shake out.
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