Which draft prospects are the Steelers willing to trade up for in the first round?
The Steelers have 12 draft picks and everybody wants to believe they won’t use them all, so—who would they trade up for? That’s the easiest way to dispose of excess draft picks, in theory, while obtaining the best player possible. The Steelers rarely draft in the top 15, and the last time they did, they did so via trade.
This year, they certainly have the ammunition to do it, but is there a prospect that they like enough? In 2019, the Steelers pulled off a trade to move from 20 to 10 to draft Devin Bush. That didn’t work out as well as hoped, though he seems to have revived his career. They traded up three slots in 2023 for Broderick Jones, but the jury is still out on him.
This draft is not regarded as one of the strongest at the top, and for Pittsburgh, that’s especially unfortunate, particularly at the quarterback position. I’m sure if the Steelers could trade all of their excess picks into next year’s draft, they might happily do so. But this is where we are, or rather where they are, with the hand they’re dealt.
So is there a small group of prospects for whom the Steelers would trade up to draft in Round 1? What if a Carnell Tate or a Sonny Styles were to fall within striking range—what would it take to make them pounce on such an opportunity?
The issue with a trade up in this particular draft is the fact that the positions the Steelers want to address are sufficiently deep that they can likely draft a good, quality player without moving up while still addressing their other needs on Day 2. Should they wish to do so, they should have little difficulty coming out of Day 2 with a quality wide receiver, guard, and safety. And they can land the top one available to them in the first round without trading up.
But that’s how outside observers view things. Teams have specific preferences based on things we’re not privy to. Players are ranked on generalist criteria for mass consumption. The Steelers will have their own highly specified draft board, which would include trade-worthy options. Of course, we don’t find out who any of those are unless they actually trade up for one.
The Steelers exited the playoffs in the first round yet again, a pattern going back to 2017.With seven consecutive postseason losses, and no wins in nearly a decade, they are facing another long, long offseason. No doubt we will see many changes, but none will top Mike Tomlin resigning.
The NFL has crowned its latest champion, but for us and the Steelers, we have been in offseason mode. That’s what happens when the team you coverloses by the middle of January all the time, but you’ve been around, so you know that already. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
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