The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t make a trade to move up or move down during the 2024 NFL Draft, sticking with their selections heading into the draft and making seven picks. But it wasn’t due to a lack of opportunities, as general manager Omar Khan said in a post-draft press conference that the Steelers had conversations about trading up and down in every round of the draft.
“We had conversations about moving up, and the phone was ringing about moving down. Really every round we were in where we had a pick, we were having conversations, it was pretty active,” Khan said via the Steelers YouTube channel.
Khan said that during the draft, you have no choice but to be patient and evaluate your situation when it comes to making trades.
“You have no choice but to be patient on draft weekend, but it all comes down to what players are there when you’re picking, and you try to make the right decisions whether to move up, move down, or take a pick. I’ve said it before, and I know we made some moves last year, but when there’s a good player, it’s hard to trade away from it. We had opportunities to trade back this year, and where we were, we felt really good about the players we took and where we took them.”
In the end, by staying put, the Steelers ended up with one of the top players on their board in Troy Fautanu, in the first round and one of the best centers in the draft in Zach Frazier, in the second round. On top of that, the Steelers also added a much-needed receiver in Roman Wilson, whose versatility is ideal for Arthur Smith’s scheme, the 2023 Bednarik Award winner and one of the top off-ball linebackers in the class in Payton Wilson. The Steelers also added depth with Mason McCormick along the offensive line and Logan Lee and Ryan Watts in the sixth round.
All seven players fill a need for the Steelers, and the value they got on Fautanu, Frazier, and both Wilsons, in particular, stands out as good value. Early in the draft, the Steelers benefited from six quarterbacks going before their selection at No. 20 in the first round, which pushed talent down the board, but Khan and the rest of the Pittsburgh front office did a good job of staying patient and getting good players at their spot.
It’s not easy in a war room if the team has someone they’re keyed in on to sit and wait, but the Steelers obviously felt comfortable enough that they’d have a player they liked in their spot would be there without having to trade up, and when their pick came, they didn’t feel the need to move back, and they took their guy. Obviously, you can’t judge a draft class upon its completion, but on paper, it’s a really good one for the Steelers. Give credit to Khan and the rest of the Pittsburgh front office for staying patient and getting really good value with their selections.
