Steelers Could Trade Down And Use Day 2 Picks To Their Advantage

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been active throughout this offseason, especially with their free agent acquisitions. Now, the team is gearing up for the 2026 NFL Draft, where they have a stockpile of a dozen picks. General Manager Omar Khan played his cards right within the compensatory draft formula, and the organization was rewarded a total of four picks. These picks are valuable as they can be used as trade pieces, or can make the draft more flexible for the team. These picks were awarded based on the Steelers losing more or better free agents than they acquired in the previous year. 

There has been much speculation around how the franchise plans to draft in 2026. The team has some positional needs like wide receiver, guard, and some secondary help. However, these positions have been addressed (in varying degrees) throughout the offseason. Between the sheer amount of draft capital and the versatility that the team has with its roster, there are many interesting scenarios that could occur. There has been talks of trading up for a high-quality player at one of the positions of need. 

However, for Steelers beat writer Christopher Carter, the Black and Gold could be looking to do the opposite. Trading down is a clear option for Pittsburgh and could grant them a valuable Day 2 pick that would help its roster even more. Carter spoke about this scenario on an episode of the Locked On Steelers podcast. 

"Trading down could be an option here that would be reasonable because it would be maximizing that Day 2 value. Maximize the value that you can get on those first two days in the draft, and make that where the bulk of the success of this draft class comes from," Carter said. 

In Carter's hypothetical, he had the Steelers trading down to pick 29 with the Kansas City Chiefs and sending pick 21, a third-round pick, and a fourth in exchange for the 29th pick and pick 40, which is a high second-round pick. This could happen with any team below Pittsburgh in the draft, but the idea that they could trade down just a few picks, and potentially get the player they wanted anyway, while adding a second-round pick, seems like a great value. 

The front office accrued three third-round picks, and there has been a lot of conversation on what they would do with them. Using them as a way to get another selection in the second round gives the Steelers brass another crack at a player in the top 50, giving them three picks within that mark. This would allow the team to build for the future and it gives them flexibility to potentially go with a new face under center in 2027.

The Steelers Could Be Basing Their Draft Decisions On 2027

The franchise is, yet again, without its starting quarterback at this point in the offseason. The Steelers' starter from last year, Aaron Rodgers, hasn't made his decision known. Even if he were to re-sign, it would more than likely be on a one-year deal. This would leave the Black and Gold without a certain starting quarterback in 2027, and the strategy seems to be clear. Khan and his staff have been aggressive for a reason; they want the roster to be as complete as possible if a young quarterback were to be under center in 2027. An example of this was when the Steelers traded for Michael Pittman Jr. from the Indianapolis Colts. 

These additional weapons will give a good cushion to a young gunslinger. The organization could look to add more 2027 draft capital throughout this process, too. They may want to trade their abundance of 2026 picks in exchange for some 2027 selections. Either way, Pittsburgh is gearing up for the future and one that could involve a young quarterback, and a roster that would be talented from the oldest in the league, to one that has been studded with youth. 

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