The Pittsburgh Steelers are a complete mystery when it comes to the 2025 NFL Draft and how the franchise wants to attack the event. The first night is going to be the most important for Pittsburgh as the organization does not have a second-round selection, which makes the 21st overall pick much more important. There are plenty of positions that Pittsburgh can look to draft, while trading up or down also seems to be options that would be on the table for the Steelers.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan holds a cell phone up to his ear while taking a call.
Trading back would probably be the most logical move for the Steelers in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. If the organization can move closer towards the end of the first round while also recouping some draft capital, that would be an ideal situation. The franchise lost its second-round pick in exchange for DK Metcalf, which was worth it, but if the Steelers have a chance to get a similar pick back, they should take it. According to ESPN's draft expert Matt Miller, the Steelers should be able to have a chance to move back. The Kansas City Chiefs are actively trying to move up, and Pittsburgh might be in the perfect spot.
"I've heard that the Kansas City Chiefs are actively looking to trade up in Round 1," Miller wrote. "They signed left tackle Jaylon Moore in free agency, but were otherwise quiet, opting to re-sign their own versus hitting the open market. A move up in Round 1 would likely be for a long-term offensive tackle solution; I heard the goal would be to move in front of the Houston Texans (No. 25) and Los Angeles Rams (No. 26) if the Chiefs like a specific left tackle still on the board."
Pittsburgh holds the 21st overall pick, which could get the Chiefs in front of the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Rams, who each have obvious needs at tackle. There should be a couple of tackles in this area of the board, and if Kansas City loves a prospect, the Steelers should be able to get some picks out of the Chiefs in order to move back.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid embrace one another on the field prior to a professional football game in Kansas City.
The Chiefs made it to the Super Bowl during the 2024 season, so none of their draft picks are all that great in the pecking order. However, if the Steelers and Chiefs were to swap first-round picks, Pittsburgh may also be able to land the 63rd or 65th overall pick. The Chiefs own the 63rd pick, while they received the 65th overall pick from the Tennessee Titans during the trade for L'Jarius Sneed. These picks being so close together may make either one expendable, and Pittsburgh landing one could help make up for the lost second-round selection.
A trade like this would move Pittsburgh back to the 31st overall pick, but there should still be some quality talent on the board. It would likely take the Steelers out of the running for a quarterback on Day 1 of the event, but the Steelers could still fill a need while gaining an additional Day 2 selection.
Steelers Need To Be Careful Trading With The Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have started a dynasty over the last seven seasons or so. The roster has a handful of future Hall of Famers, while the team has made three consecutive Super Bowls. The organization has been completely dominant, which is why the Steelers need to be careful in doing business with it. The Chiefs have had some incredible draft night moves over the last decade, and they continue to make the Buffalo Bills look foolish in the event.
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Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce led their team to victory over the Baltimore Ravens during the 2023 AFC Championship.
In 2017, the Chiefs traded up with the Bills to draft Patrick Mahomes. A year later, the Bills got Josh Allen, who just won his first MVP Award, but Buffalo continuously falls to Kansas City in the postseason. In 2024, the Bills traded back with the Chiefs again, and Kansas City got to pick Xavier Worthy. Worthy had an impressive rookie season which included two touchdowns in the Super Bowl, once again making the Bills look silly.
If the Steelers trade back and Kansas City winds up selecting a dominant force at tackle, Pittsburgh would only be allowing the Chiefs to run the AFC for even longer.
What do you think of trading back with the Chiefs? Let us know in the comments below!
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