The Pittsburgh Steelers are positioning themselves to have quite a haul of compensatory picks next year under GM Omar Khan. In his third offseason in that role, he has turned over the roster considerably, and shrewdly hunted alternative solutions. Whether via trade or signing street free agents, the Steelers have seemingly acted consciously regarding the compensatory pick formula.
Brian Batko believes this will become the norm with the Steelers under Khan. Though they have at times played the compensatory game, it was usually more passive. The Baltimore Ravens are known for trying to maximize their compensatory picks; perhaps the Steelers wish to do the same.
“I could see them robbing from that projected 2026 stash to pay themselves in the 2025 draft”, Batko wrote in a recent chat about the Steelers’ potential trade-up scenarios. “Good thing about working your way toward those comp picks is it does give you some flexibility/peace of mind for wheeling and dealing, though. My sense is this will become a staple of the Omar Khan GM regime”.
The Steelers have traded future picks before to trade into a round, doing so for Shamarko Thomas and Isaiahh Loudermilk. They have also cited compensatory picks as motivation for certain trades, as with Devin Bush. With the examples cited, it’s obvious that things don’t always work out as planned, of course.
The earliest compensatory draft pick is 97th overall, in the third round. Right now, the Steelers are in position for the second-highest for Dan Moore Jr. In addition to Moore, they are also projected to net a fourth-round pick for losing Justin Fields, and a sixth for James Daniels. If Russell Wilson signs during the compensatory window, he could also net a fifth-rounder or higher.
I’m not sure what Batko bases his reasoning on when it comes to his presumption that the Steelers under Omar Khan will be more active in playing the compensatory formula. For this year’s draft, for example, they won’t have any compensatory picks at all. In fact, the Steelers haven’t had a compensatory pick since 2022. Perhaps, the argument goes, Khan has more control now and the roster is in better position to play the game.
Some of the Steelers’ unrestricted free agents for 2026 include George Pickens, Calvin Austin III, Darius Slay, Isaac Seumalo, Jaylen Warren, Cordarrelle Patterson, Cole Holcomb, DeMarvin Leal, and Isaiahh Loudermilk. Outside of Pickens, it’s hard to envision any of these players earning a very high return pick.
Of course, there are plenty of things teams can do to play the compensatory pick game. They can claim a player off waivers in-season that they know will be a free agent the following year. They can cheaply trade for a player on an expiring contract. The Ravens re-signed former Steelers WR Diontae Johnson in the hopes of earning a compensatory pick for him. That hasn’t exactly worked out so far, though.
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