The Pittsburgh Steelers have 12 picks and no clear path to upgrading at quarterback this year, so the logical move is to start flipping assets into 2027…right? Don’t bet on that happening, at least according to one notable draft insider.
“It’s expected that teams will not give up too much 2027 capital based on the strength of next year’s class,” Matt Miller wrote in ESPN’s draft rumors file.
Omar Khan stated his openness to trading back in the 2026 NFL Draft during one of his media sessions at the NFL owner meetings. But if you’ve paid attention, he’s said the same thing every year in some form or fashion. He’s always open to all possibilities.
This year makes more sense than ever for Pittsburgh, but not if the result is picking up more 2026 capital rather than more coveted picks next year.
All it takes is one team to be in love with a prospect when the Steelers are on the clock to change this. But what’s clear is the long-held idea that the Steelers can just flip a few picks to 2027 is not going to be easily achieved.
If 2026 picks are the lesser asset, the Steelers wouldn’t be flipping them for equal value. They’d be paying a premium to get into 2027. How exactly teams have assigned that value remains to be seen, but could pick No. 21 in the first round be viewed as a 2027 second-rounder for trade purposes? Could it cost two current picks for the price of one next year? That’s the calculus that must be considered if Omar Khan wants to trade back.
There’s a reason why the Steelers haven’t executed a current-year draft pick trade for a future-year draft pick trade since 1999— a year before Kevin Colbert was even in charge. The Steelers hardly ever trade back, and certainly not for future draft value. It’s the antithesis of everything they believe in as a win-now organization. I can’t imagine them wanting to give up $1.25 in 2026 for 75 cents in 2027. That’s bad business.
The other option is packaging later-round 2026 picks with proven veterans—lowering the risk for a trade partner and possibly loosening the grip on 2027 capital. (More on that in my Sunday column.)
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