The Steelers Seem To Have Plenty Of Opportunities With The 17th Overall Pick; So What Should They Do With It?

The 2023 NFL Draft is approaching for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the closer we get to draft night, the more buzz we get surrounding the 17th overall pick. The Steelers, along with every other team in the league, have a total of three options on what to do with their selections: trade up, stay put, or trade back.

These options might seem self explanatory, but there is really a lot that goes into making this decision. I personally believe that the team is currently in “No Man’s Land” at their current position in the first round. What I mean by that is, there’s a good chance that all of the top names on their board will be taken by the time pick 17 rolls around. As a result, the team might have to settle on a player that they possibly could’ve gotten later on in the first round. For this reason, I beg the question, what do you think the Steelers should do with their first round pick? Let’s go over each option.

Should The Steelers Trade Up?

I made this the first option because there have been several reports the last week or two regarding this very scenario, specifically trading up for one high-profile player in particular. That player is Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. The initial reports stated that Pittsburgh has been in contact with the Chicago Bears, who currently hold the #9 overall pick, regarding a possible trade up. Trading into the top 10 would make it much more likely to land a player like Johnson Jr. or even a top tier cornerback like Christian Gonzalez (Oregon) or Devon Witherspoon (Illinois).

With that being said, this is not the type of move we see the Steelers make very often. Let’s rewind back to the 2019 draft, where we saw the team make a move to trade with the Denver Broncos and their #10 overall pick in the draft to land Michigan linebacker Devin Bush. At the time the move was a shock to everyone, and had the whole fan base excited, but we unfortunately know how it turned out… not great. Now that’s no reason to say a trade for a guy like Johnson Jr. this time around wouldn’t work out, but it’s just worth noting that the team normally stays seated and waits their turn on draft day, especially after the most recent time they did make a move, it ended in disaster. 

But let’s forget all of that for a second. What if this is in fact what the team wants to do. What would it cost? Going back to 2019, to move up a total of 10 spots, Pittsburgh traded away their first and second round picks (#20 and #52), and an additional third round pick the following year in 2020. In this hypothetical scenario for 2023, the Steelers could move up just eight spots in a deal with Chicago. If this were to happen, the deal could look very similar to 2019, most likely dealing the 17th pick, one of our two second round picks (most likely pick #49), and a mid-round pick in 2024. This would also allow Pittsburgh to retain the second round pick they received from Chicago (32nd overall) back in November for wide receiver Chase Claypool.

Now just because these reports have surfaced, doesn't mean that a trade is imminent. Teams have discussions like these  all the time and have been communicating pretty consistently for the last few months. But I think if the team really does value a guy like Johnson Jr. or Gonzalez to be a franchise caliber player, and one were to fall a little more than anticipated, I’d be more than thrilled if the team made a move to get them into the Black and Gold. 

Should The Steelers Stay Put?

Now if I’m being completely honest, with how this draft might end up shaking out, this is my least favorite option out of the three. With that being said, I'll still make a case for why this is a good choice, and the most likely one at that. For starters, this is what most teams end up doing anyway. They’ll do all the homework in the world on dozens of prospects they feel might be available when their pick is up, and if one or more falls to them, great. But like I mentioned above, it really feels like the team is caught in no man’s land with the 17th pick, and I’m afraid they’re going to end up just missing out on several key guys I’d love for them to walk away with.

With this pick, my best-case scenario is to land Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr., but there are several teams picking just ahead of Pittsburgh like the New England Patriots and Washington Commanders who have also shown interest in the star prospect. Like Porter Jr., a few other potential names I really like here are offensive tackles Broderick Jones (Georgia) and Darnell Wright (Tennessee), as well as edge rusher Nolan Smith (Georgia). Even still, these players have been mocked all throughout this middle section of the first round, so there’s really no telling who out of this group, if any, will be available at pick 17. 

On the flip side, I’ve also seen a lot of mock drafts that have Pittsburgh staying put, and selecting players like Deonte Banks (CB - Maryland), Zay Flowers (WR - Boston College), and Brian Branch (S - Alabama). Now these are all talented players, and I think they would all fill an immediate hole on the roster, but I can’t help but think they’d all be a slight reach with the 17th pick, and would probably still be available later on in the round if Pittsburgh were to pass on them. 

In an in-depth mock draft conducted by Kyle Stackpole with CBS Sports, his draft pans out almost exactly like this. He highlights several trades within the top 10-15 picks, but Pittsburgh stands tall at 17. Washington snipes Porter Jr. the pick before at 16, and the Steelers settle for Banks at 17, who Stackpole has as his 32nd overall prospect. This outcome is really one I'm trying to avoid. 

Should The Steelers Trade Back?

If that scenario I just referenced became a reality, I’d much rather see the Steelers explore the possibility of trading back farther into the first round to acquire more draft capital. Even if the trade would just be to move a few spots back, into the early 20's, a deal could still net them an additional mid-round pick in this year’s draft, which could really go a long way. 

Whether we want to admit it or not, this current Steelers team still has a few holes to fill before becoming a true Super Bowl contender, and the more draft picks we can acquire, especially in the earlier rounds, the more likely it is for some of these picks to hit and improve the roster. This final option seems to be a lot less popular, but regardless, is one I think the team should strongly consider once things get under way. 

So with the draft right around the corner, how do you feel about the Steelers current draft position? Do you want to see them make a move before or during the first round, or would you rather the team just stay put and see how the dominos fall? Be sure to drop a comment down below and let me know!

#SteelerNation