Steelers Fans Have 1 Reason Not To Worry About Taking A Major Reach With Their 2025 First Round Pick

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a sudden change of philosophy since they hired a new general manager. Instead of focusing solely on their biggest need, they tend to balance that with Best Player Available (BPA). The results are still mixed, with both of Omar Khan's first-round picks not being able to play their normal position for more than one game so far. However, there is still time to see how this process unfolds, especially with how they go about doing things for the 2025 NFL Draft. 

Analyst Brian Batko made an appearance on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Sports Now show to talk about the upcoming draft. While doing so, he brought up an interesting comparison to the current regime and the previous one.

"I do think that, since Omar Khan and Andy Weidl have taken over, they've maybe mirrored traditional draft analysts' boards more than they had in the Kevin Colbert years, so that's something else to consider," explained Batko. "If you're seeing on most places that it's [Kenneth] Grant / [Walter] Nolan / [Derrick] Harmon in a row as mid-to-late first-round picks, maybe it's a little less likely that a Terrell Edmunds-type sneaks in there the way he has in years past for the Steelers under a different regime."

Obviously, the Steelers want to use that first-round pick to fill a need with a premier player, but that doesn't always happen. Sometimes, you have to go to a secondary option to still get a high-end player, as opposed to using a third-round type player as a top pick -- which sometimes happened in the Kevin Colbert era.

The most egregious example of this was in 2018. The Steelers needed help in the secondary and wanted a project to develop long-term. Instead of getting some help at linebacker or the aging offensive line, they reached for Terrell Edmunds. He wasn't bad in Pittsburgh, but he only spent five years there before bouncing around. He is now seen as a practice squad-type player while Jessie Bates, the next safety off the board, received one of the highest salaries ever for his position. 

With Khan, however, that has not been a problem. He has proven to not go out of his way to find anyone to fill a need. The Steelers have struggled at center for years, but his regime didn't look for their future savior at that position until 2024, when the class was loaded with potential elite centers. They were then able to select Zach Frazier in the second round, and he seems to be the next anchor on the offensive line in a long line of elite ones in Steelers history.

Steelers' Projected 2025 Draft Plans

It is still undetermined if the Steelers will draft the defensive line position in the first or second round, but with how loaded the position is along with the probable need, it's safe to say that Khan and Weidl will do their due diligence on every prospect there and find a playmaker that will stay in Pittsburgh for years to come.

With how much the Steelers' draft board mirrors the analysts' boards, it seems likely that they will draft a wide receiver early on as well, with the overwhelming favorite being Emeka Egbuka. He is seen as a perfect fit for Pittsburgh and pick 21 is around the right place for him to go.

Even in a weak quarterback class like this one, there seems to be no chance that the Steelers reach for a passer in the early rounds. Instead, they may try to go for a project or a backup late in the draft and maybe draft their future franchise quarterback in 2026. 

What do you think about the Steelers' draft board looking more like the consensus with Khan's staff than Colbert's? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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