Steelers And Rams Have An Opportunity To Absolutely Break The Ravens' Heart

When the 2026 NFL Draft begins, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be in one of the best positions to get aggressive. No one is ignorant to the fact that the team is projected to have 12 total picks, so General Manager Omar Khan will have a plethora of options in pretty much every round. The first couple of days are the ones to watch, however, as moving way up the board in the first or second remains a serious possibility. The front office will be patiently watching to see if one of its favorite prospects begins to fall within trading distance.

The Steelers have a number of positional needs, but because of a successful free agency period, there is not one specific spot in which Pittsburgh has to be committed to taking in round one. This is where it could get interesting. In the Khan era, all first-round selections completed a Top 30 visit with the organization, so unless something drastic happens, it's fair to assume that the franchise would be open to moving up if a certain player slides.

A lot of fans are expecting a flashy pick. Wide receivers are plentiful in the draft class, but that also means that there will be several of prospects to go after in the second round. It appears as if the more likely situation is Khan and co. skyrocketing up the board to grab either a safety or offensive lineman. The Steelers have not been shy about their goal of wanting to build the trenches in recent seasons in regards to a guard possibly being the target.

This is where the Los Angeles Rams could come into play. This is a team that is constantly open to moving its first-round picks. General Manager Les Snead is always taking calls, and the Steelers just so happen to have a top rival in the Baltimore Ravens picking at 14, right behind Los Angeles. Both Pittsburgh and Baltimore are actively in the market for a franchise-caliber interior offensive lineman. Eric DeCosta was not afraid to bring that up recently in a press conference.

Both linemen that the Ravens' general manager mentioned completed Top 30 visits with the Steelers. The comments coming out of Baltimore's front office send a message that one of these guys is absolutely being considered in the middle of round one. Khan and Snead might have the opportunity to work out a deal that involves swapping first-rounders, while the Rams could hypothetically get two of Pittsburgh's mid-round picks as well.

Khan has already been adamant about not using all 12 of his selections. What better way to part with some than hopping your biggest rival to select one of the best guard prospects the NFL has seen in some time? The fans in the Steel City getting word of Pittsburgh trading up would bring extreme excitement at first, but Olaivavega Ioane wouldn't be the flashy pick. It should be understood that Khan and the Steelers' decision-makers don't care.

It might seem drastic to move up seven spots for an interior offensive lineman, but everything is on the table when an AFC North combatant might be eyeing that individual at 14. This scenario also doesn't have to solely focus on a big man up front, though, as the Ravens and Steelers both could be targeting pass-catchers in round one. Get your popcorn ready, because Khan may just be looking to ruin the Ravens' evening when night one in Pittsburgh rolls around.

Steelers May Simply Wait To Trade Up Until After First-Round Pick

Pittsburgh has done everything possible to fill up key holes on the roster throughout the 2026 offseason. This is why giving up mid-round draft capital could make more sense if the front office wants to fly up the board into the first half of round two, or even obtain a second first-round selection. Khan has options, but it would make it that much sweeter if he manufactured something with Snead to steal a particular player from the Ravens.

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