The NFL Draft is an exciting time already, but draft-day trades take it to another level. Whether your team is gaining more capital later on or moving up for a player the front office is that confident about, there’s always a little rush that comes with the bottom-of-the-screen ticker switching to a new team color.
Could the Steelers be one of the teams to make a draft day trade this year? With 12 scheduled selections, the team has plenty of ammo to move around the board — and in a year where most
analysts agree there aren’t many “true” first-round picks, jumping forward in the order isn’t the worst idea.
Is there any player the Steelers should trade up for?
In the first round, I’m leaning heavily towards no. The price is just too steep, and none of the players who could drop into trade range seem valuable enough to pay that much for. Pittsburgh has five top-100 picks this year, and it would probably be best to use all five to help the team build a strong, young core ahead of 2027.
But who could, in theory, drop to where the Steelers could trade up for them? Ohio State stars Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs could fall a few slots due to positional value, but I’d use that same reason to argue against spending a king’s ransom on a safety or off-ball linebacker. At cornerback, wide receiver, and guard, there are some names (Carnell Tate and Olaivavega Ioane, for instance) intriguing enough to leapfrog a few spots, but there are plenty of strong options Day 2 at those same positions.
And at quarterback? The only likely first-round prospect besides predicted No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza is Alabama’s Ty Simpson, who Pittsburgh probably wouldn’t need to trade up for in the first place.
However, a great strategy would be using the team’s glut of Day 3 picks to maneuver around in the top 100 to get ideal players. If a coveted name is a handful of picks away in rounds two or three, burning a fourth or fifth to guarantee you get that player is a wise move.
Ultimately, it doesn’t make much sense for the Steelers to make any massive trade ups in the 2026 draft. But with the amount of draft capital the team has, it wouldn’t be surprising in the least if Omar Khan makes a deal or two to get his guys.
Do you think there are any players worth trading up for in the 2026 NFL Draft? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!
