The 2026 NFL Draft will put a unique spotlight on the Pittsburgh Steelers. With this year's event in Pittsburgh, PA, the hometown team will undoubtedly be the talk of the town throughout draft week. For the Steelers, this is a team that is rarely in the spotlight come draft day. After all, they're currently in the midst of an NFL-record 22 consecutive winning seasons. The Steelers' best drafts are based on getting value at the end of the round, and they'll once again have the 21st selection in this year's spectacle, the same position they selected last year. However, the Steelers may make a bold move in front of their home crowd.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan during a press conference ahead of training camp in July 2025.
The last time the Steelers traded up to the top 10 in the NFL Draft was in 2019, when they selected linebacker Devin Bush. This was a significant trade at the time: they moved up 10 spots in the first round, from 20th to 10th, and also traded the Denver Broncos' first-, second-, and third-round picks. The trade was an unmitigated disaster for the Steelers, as Bush never got a second contract with the team and was never able to capitalize on his solid rookie season. This big swing that struck out for the Steelers is part of the risk you take when you make a bold move like that. If it works out, the rewards are well worth it.
Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo thinks the Steelers have the potential for a move to get into the top 10, or higher in 2026.
"They can get into the top 10," Fittipaldo explained. "Maybe even the top 5 if they wanted to make a big splash and trade four or five picks."
When it comes to making the type of trade that Fittipaldo is alluding to, you only do so if there's a blue-chip prospect that you have in mind. The entire coaching staff and front office have to be sold on this, from top to bottom. The Steelers are in win-now mode and have several positions of need to improve upon. While trading a haul of future draft picks can infringe on that, if there's a prospect the Steelers deem to have generational upside, acquiring him can make all the difference in the short- and long-term for Steelers General Manager Omar Khan and new Steelers head coach, Mike McCarthy.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy gives his opening press conference to the media.
McCarthy is known for his offensive genius and the West Coast offense, but the Steelers will need to make major acquisitions for McCarthy's offense to reach its full potential. The West Coast offense typically uses three-receiver sets, and while star receiver DK Metcalf should thrive in the high-flying scheme, the organization's receiving room outside of Metcalf is bleak at best. It's a pretty safe assumption that the Steelers will make a major overhaul of their receiving room this offseason, whether through free agency, the draft, or a combination of both.
Steelers Have Every Motive To Trade Up In The 2026 NFL Draft
For any team to trade a haul to move up in the draft, you need motive, and the Steelers have perhaps more than any other team. They brought in McCarthy to address their lack of playoff success, going 0-7 in their last seven playoff games. This trend simply cannot continue, and with a draft in front of their fans in Pittsburgh, it makes all the sense in the world for the Steelers to go big in a trade up for a playmaker who can revolutionize McCarthy's offense.
Lon Horwedel
Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf catches a pass against the Detroit Lions in 2025.
McCarthy and Khan know the Steelers' expectation: to win and win now. AFC North titles and playoff berths are nothing to take for granted, but the Steelers are a team and fan base desperate for some kind of playoff success going forward. The 30-6 route the Houston Texans put on the Steelers during the Wild Card Round of last season's playoffs simply cannot happen again. The Steelers have the resources and the motive for a blockbuster draft day trade, the question is, is there a player to trade up for?
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