The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the tougher teams to figure out going into the 2025 NFL Draft. There seems to be endless possibilities with what the organization could do with the 21st overall pick, as multiple positions are in play and trades are also on the table. The Steelers have a handful of needs throughout the roster and the franchise could look to patch up one of those needs at pick 21, but it might be the smarter move to try to trade back to acquire more draft capital after trading away the team's second-round pick in exchange for DK Metcalf.
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Steelers' DK Metcalf running a route on a Hail Mary play during the 2020 season with the Seattle Seahawks.
No fan is upset about the trade for Metcalf, but it is unfortunate to only have one pick during the first two rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. That could change with a trade back, but Pittsburgh could also move up in the event to acquire a second first-round pick. This is similar to what the Minnesota Vikings did during the 2024 NFL Draft when selecting JJ McCarthy and Dallas Turner, which was pointed out by NFL insider Dianna Russini in a recent article for The Athletic.
"I didn’t intend for this to be a Steelers-centric section, but they are on track to receive four additional compensatory picks in 2026 and need a quarterback, running back and defensive tackle," Russini wrote. "They could pull a maneuver similar to the Vikings in 2024, who mortgaged future picks to draft twice in round one."
This would be a little bit different from Minnesota in 2024, as the Vikings had two first-round picks going into the event last year. Minnesota did trade-up from both of their original drafting positions in the round and gave up a lot of future draft capital in doing so, which is something the Steelers can certainly afford to do.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan talks on the phone during a practice in the Steel City.
The 2025 offseason has not been perfect for Pittsburgh, but the organization is expected to land a significant amount of compensatory draft picks in 2026 due to the way things went in free agency. Justin Fields, Dan Moore Jr., Russell Wilson, and James Daniels all leaving the organization for fairly significant contracts ensures Pittsburgh will get additional draft picks ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. As it stands currently, the Steelers should be expected to receive an additional third, fourth, fifth, and sixth-round selection.
These picks aren't eligible to be traded until they are rewarded to each team, which usually happens around the start of each new league year. However, Pittsburgh knowing that these picks are coming in 2026 can make their original draft pick next year feel a little bit expendable. This can be used to trade up in the first-round, or to make a big trade-up from the 83rd overall pick.
Steelers Will Have Plenty Of Options On Draft Night
Something to keep an eye on during draft night is either Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart falling to the Steelers at 21, as the team does need a quarterback for the future whether Aaron Rodgers signs or not. If Sanders begins to fall down the board, there is a chance that Pittsburgh could look to trade-up, however that doesn't feel very likely.
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Both Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart are considered to be first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The ideal scenario, which would be fairly similar to what Russini discussed, is that the Steelers are able to trade back from pick 21 to later in the first-round. This would give the organization some additional draft capital, which Pittsburgh could then use if it is a second-round pick, or the Steelers could use the draft compensation to move up from the 83rd pick which falls in the third-round.
The Steelers need a running back, plus help on the interior defensive line, and it is going to be hard to land top-flight talent at both positions without a second-round pick.
What do you think about the proposal from Russini? Let us know in the comments below!
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