The Steelers' 2027 NFL Draft Situation May Have Just Gotten Extremely Bad

The Pittsburgh Steelers will have the luxury of hosting the 2026 NFL Draft. While the league and city technically put on the event, the organization as a whole will be in the spotlight for the majority of the weekend. Despite this, a lot of fans are already looking forward to 2027. The franchise needs a quarterback that can be under center for a decade or longer, and that might not be available for the taking when the first round comes at the end of April. This means that the 12 total selections at Omar Khan's disposal might mean a little bit less.

There was a very specific strategy used by the Steelers in 2025 free agency. The team allowed expensive players to walk out the door and sign elsewhere. This, coupled with some trade activity, gave Pittsburgh the maximum amount of compensatory picks for 2026. Now, the front office will be tasked with either using all of them, or dealing some in order to get 2027 capital.

Will Howard should get a chance at some point to take over the reins at the quarterback position for the Steelers, but that's not a definitive guarantee. The 2027 collective of collegiate prospects could potentially be extremely stout, and Khan might be wishing that he could have a ton of draft picks a year from now, rather than holding on to what he has currently for 2026.

Unfortunately, the Steelers seem to have been a year ahead of things. Per Over The Cap, the franchise is now expected to have zero compensatory selections in 2027. This means that to gain extra capital, if a trade-up is desired, it will have to be acquired another way. Giving up players or future picks also give teams opportunities to move around come the first round, but the comp picks are bonuses that can be used very strategically.

The formula for getting these additional chances at drafting players is quite complicated, but the main point is that Khan doesn't appear to have any coming his way when his main job is likely to be finding the future quarterback for one of the most storied organizations in all of sports. That is problematic, and can be viewed as a failure until proven otherwise.

Much of the future for the Steelers is speculative. The team has put itself in this situation because of the lack of a true franchise quarterback since the 2022 campaign began. The organization hasn't had a losing season since 2003, so many are hesitant to believe that Pittsburgh will have prime draft positioning in 2027. This would create an uphill climb for Khan if Howard is not the answer and a signal-caller needs to be taken very early.

The main goal in 2026 should be to find a way to somehow get a selection or two for 2027. This would at least give the decision-makers some flexibility in next year's draft. It's very difficult to get to a Super Bowl if there isn't a proven individual under center, so the criticism will continue to come for Khan if he cannot resolve this ongoing issue that he inherited.

No one has the answers currently, but fans are hoping that the Steelers do have a plan in place if, in fact, Howard turns out to be nothing other than a career backup at the professional level.

Steelers' Options In 2027 Could Be Very Plentiful

The group of prospects in the class that will be involved with the 2026 NFL Draft isn't being very highly touted. In 2027, however, the opportunity for teams to find top talent in the backend of round one could possibly be in play. Unfortunately, there isn't projected to be any extra ammo at Khan's disposal, and he will have to get very creative if the front office wants to skyrocket up the board to finally take the future of the organization at the quarterback position.

#SteelerNation