Titans' Significant Trade With Jets Could Have Just Seriously Hurt The Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for a very busy new league year in 2026. Free agency is destined to be exciting because of the amount of cap space General Manager Omar Khan is expected to have at his disposal. On top of that, the NFL Draft will take place in the Steel City. The organization is set to have roughly 12 total selections, which opens up the possibilities for just about anything. Top needs that are being highlighted include quarterback, wide receiver, linebacker, safety, and interior offensive line. The team will be able to address all of these; it's just a matter of how and when.

The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine is currently taking place and this isn't just a time for executives and coaches to get a closer look at collegiate prospects preparing for professional football. Front offices are constantly communicating and building rapport with potential trades and players of interest in mind. The first example of this occurred on Thursday when the new regime for the Tennessee Titans came to a verbal agreement on a trade with the New York Jets.

New Titans head coach, Robert Saleh certainly had something to do with the move, as he was once the locker room leader for the Jets. He evidently really wanted one of his former players, Jermaine Johnson.

While it may not seem relevant to the Steelers at this moment in time, Tennessee desperately needs help at a few key positions. One of those is at pass rusher, and Johnson had seven and a half sacks for New York back in 2023 when Saleh was the coach. Another crucial position that the Titans need to get better at is wide receiver. Now that a formidable pass rusher has entered the mix, one of the top three pass-catchers like Makai Lemon could go off the board sooner than expected.

The NFL Draft is almost like a domino effect. When talented players at popular positions start getting selected, sometimes it causes other franchises to also make a run at the exact same positions. With Lemon, Jordyn Tyson and Carnell Tate being considered the top three, one of them going in the Top 5 certainly affects the Steelers' chances at one member of the trio falling significantly.

The Titans have consistently been mocked to be drafting an edge rusher and/or defensive end. That may no longer be completely necessary due to Saleh's trust in Johnson. If that is the case, the chances of Tennessee taking a wideout just became much more likely. There are other talented pass-catchers that are coming out of college, but the Steelers haven't had consistency at the position in years and grabbing one of the top three should absolutely be preferred.

Other trade opportunities for the Steelers could change first-round plans, but as the combine begins to ramp up, the deal between the Titans and Jets that was reported on Thursday afternoon could have direct effects on Pittsburgh. Tennessee could still elect to go after defense with the fourth overall selection because of Saleh's background on that side of the ball; however, the wheels are already turning for Khan and co. to be forced into making an aggressive move up the board.

Steelers Will Address The Wide Receiver Position One Way Or Another

Regardless of how it gets done, Khan will be searching throughout the offseason to upgrade Pittsburgh's wide receiving corps. That could come in several different ways, but the best opportunity to plan for the long-term would be landing a top-notch pass-catcher via the draft. Tennessee may already be disrupting that opportunity, especially because the top three prospects are said to be separating themselves from the rest of the pack.

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