"Maxed Out The Strategy": Steelers' Omar Khan Heading Toward Having Massive Regret

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a start to 2026 free agency that was very well received by the fan base. Plenty of moves were made to address holes on the roster, which gives the front office plenty of options once the NFL Draft rolls around. General Manager Omar Khan will no longer be forced to focus on a select few positions in round one, allowing the team to potentially select the best player available when the 21st overall pick occurs. On top of that, the franchise is projected to have 12 overall picks. This is a very large number in terms of capital, so fans should expect it to change.

The Steelers took a very unique approach to free agency back in 2025. Rather than using financial flexibility to load up on external options, the organization was active in the trade market, and allowing several of its own players looking for contracts to walk out the door. This specifically allowed Pittsburgh to — in a way — rig the compensatory pick formula.

The max a team can have is four total, and that's exactly what Khan is dealing with in 2026. Unfortunately, the draft class isn't expected to have the franchise's future long-term quarterback. It may have been believed at one point that the pool of signal-callers would be much stronger, but now having 12 selections and options doesn't look nearly as attractive.

Pittsburgh could very well still be in play to have one or two comp picks in 2027; however, it won't be like it is for 2026. The Steelers strategically positioned themselves with three third-rounders, one of which also came from trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. In a fan chat hosted by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Brian Batko on Monday, he noted that Khan was a year too early, and it will be intriguing to see how the front office operates moving forward.

"It'll be interesting to see how or whether Omar Khan can move resources from this year into next year, but they pretty much maxed out the strategy last offseason," Batko wrote.

There will still be ways for Pittsburgh to get extra picks in 2027, but it's not going to be as clear-cut. If the Steelers continue their 23-year streak of not having a losing season, trading up in the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft might be imperative if the goal is finding the future of the franchise. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as if that Khan and Co. will have as much at their disposal to work with.

Batko provided some more analysis about the Steelers' 12 projected selections. Using some to garner 2027 picks could be in play, but the team may also still make an aggressive move up the board.

"Now, moving into next year could be appealing, given the on-paper strength and depth of that QB class," Batko wrote. "And I still would not be surprised if they do trade up for a WR. Personally, I have Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson in a tier of their own at the top of this WR class."

The good part is that the Steelers have options, as noted by the beat writer. The bad news is that the team will have a very hard time replicating the strategy it is currently taking advantage of. The biggest downside of that is the simple fact that the group of quarterbacks coming out of college in 2027 is expected to be a much better collective than the one in 2026.

Steelers Will Have To Get Very Creative Behind Closed Doors

Pittsburgh likely has some kind of unique strategy that Khan is hoping to see through. Unless the organization truly does have a secret affinity for someone like Ty Simpson, the front office will need the ammo to get the quarterback of the future in 2027. How it does that is a mystery as of now; however, there are likely ongoing discussions about how to make it work.

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