Steelers' Omar Khan Reveals Unfortunate Information That Will Likely Impact Pittsburgh's Draft Strategy

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a ton of capital to play with ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. General Manager Omar Khan mentioned that all options are on the table with those 12 picks, as he could make moves with them or stand pat and legitimately draft 12 rookies. With many holes getting filled in free agency, this is the perfect chance for Pittsburgh to load up on high-level depth that could develop into starters in the short- or long-term future. The team desperately needs a youth movement to help show promise for the next few years. 

During a recent interview, Khan was asked about a couple of his free agent signings in the secondary, and he revealed some information that may say that they're not done addressing that area on defense.

"Believe it or not, the DBs (defensive backs) are one of the most injured positions year after year," Khan said. "And we hope that none of our guys ever get hurt, but the reality is it's a position where injuries happen, and those guys are Steelers, and you can't have enough good players regardless of position."

The Steelers signed Jamel Dean and Jaquan Brisker to a secondary unit that had plenty of talent on it already, and Khan clarified that he did so to make sure there were plenty of quality players ready to go in case of injury. The safety position, in particular, is stacked well with Brisker, DeShon Elliott, and Jalen Ramsey holding down the fort. Cornerback could use more depth, but the room still looks very nice as well with Joey Porter Jr. leading the way.

With all the draft capital that Khan has, as well as his comments about the secondary, it is safe to say that some of the draft will have a focus on continuing to add depth there. The five starters are practically set in stone already, but when/if a few guys go down, there will be a need to move people around and continue to dominate on the back end. That is especially the case with Ramsey, who can play every defensive back position. 

Unless an absolute star falls far enough in the draft, it is unlikely that the Steelers address defensive back in Round 1. However, they will be keeping their eyes peeled after that to see if a guy like Emmanuel McNeil-Warren trickles down the second round into Pittsburgh's lap. Throughout the whole draft, there should be no surprise picks, especially if Khan can snag an absolute steal at that spot in any of the rounds.

Steelers Have Dealt With Constant Cornerback Injuries

To Khan's point, the Steelers keep having to promote practice squad players at cornerback. Cory Trice Jr. has the upside of a starter, but he has only played in six regular season games over his three-year career. It would be amazing if he could stay healthy and show off his true abilities, but until he does, Pittsburgh unfortunately has to treat him like a bubble player and make him fight for his job. 

2025 seventh-round pick Donte Kent missed his entire rookie season due to injury as well. Like with Trice, he will be forced to compete for a spot on the 53-man roster, let alone any sort of playing time. If the Steelers do draft a cornerback, he may be out of a spot entirely. If he can stay healthy and prove himself, he could at least make it to the practice squad and get called up if Dean suffers another injury.

What do you think about Khan focusing on the defensive backs in the offseason due to the injury history of that position? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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