Steelers' Strategic 2025 Free Agency Strategy Could Lead To A Wild 2026 NFL Draft In Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had an incredibly interesting 2025 offseason to this point. The most intriguing part of the entire thing is that the organization still does not have a solidified starting quarterback on the roster. Mason Rudolph was signed as an insurance policy, but Aaron Rodgers is taking his sweet time giving the franchise an answer about his future. Regardless, the fan base is certain that there is no long-term solution currently on the roster at the signal-caller position in the Steel City. This has some speculating if the team will draft one in 2025, or in 2026 when the draft will actually be held in Pittsburgh.

General Manager Omar Khan has had some aggressive moments so far as the leader of the organization's front office. The most recent example of this was sending a second-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for wide receiver DK Metcalf. That helped the receiving corps while another underrated move included bringing in free agent cornerback Darius Slay, who was released by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Pittsburgh has been strategic about its roster building, which could make for a very intriguing 2026. While fast forwarding through the 2025 season is not on the minds of many fans currently, the amount of draft picks the Steelers could have due to the compensatory pick formula is rather insane. Russell Wilson agreeing to terms with the New York Giants on Tuesday only enhanced the possibilities.

Essentially, the Steelers could end up now having three third-round compensatory picks due to the possible earnings of Dan Moore Jr., Justin Fields and Wilson. This, combined with the team's own third-rounder, could give the franchise enormous firepower. Khan would have the option to seriously bolster the roster, or make an insane trade up in the first round in order to land the quarterback of the future.

Pittsburgh being selective about free agent signings in 2025 while allowing players to walk and sign big contracts could lead to a rather wild draft weekend in the Steel City in 2026. There will be certain criteria that players need to hit in terms of the money they make, but overall, Khan is already starting to look like a genius by strategically going about the the new league year.

Teams aren't made aware of compensatory selections until six weeks or so before the draft, so none of this will be certain until March of 2026. However, with the contracts signed by Moore, Fields, Wilson and James Daniels, there are going to be some extra picks to be handed out to the Steelers. This could go a long way in finding the future of the franchise.

It would be no joke for any organization to have a whopping five picks on the second day of any draft year, and now that is a sincere possibility for Khan and Pittsburgh. Whether those would be used for a major roster transformation, or a blockbuster trade remains to be seen. Fans would easily argue, though, that moving up in the first round to select a once-in-a-lifetime quarterback while the draft is held in the Steel City could be incredibly impactful.

Steelers May Be Planning Massive Move For 2026 

No one is sure where Pittsburgh will be drafting in 2026, but it sure would be something for the team to trade well into the top 10 of the draft to select a signal-caller. There is no guarantee that the team won't already be drafting in that area, but given recent history and not a single losing season since 2003, a premier pick seems unlikely overall. Khan and the front office seem to have a strategy in place to load up on picks to make the possibilities endless.

Do you think the Steelers are already planning something for the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh? Let us know in the comments below!

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