Who are the “really good” players the Steelers wouldn’t trade away from?
Steelers GM Omar Khan and HC Mike Tomlin said earlier this week there are several “really good” players they wouldn’t trade away from in the first round. Yet they also hinted that, in an ideal world, they would like to trade down. On top of that, they also suggested they’ll likely be too enamored with a player to do so.
Regardless of the route they choose, the hope is that the Steelers indeed select a really good player. If they could select him while still trading down, even better, but you only take that risk with other options. If they see several really good players still on the board, only then might they consider trading down.
But who are they, and how many are they? And how important to this discussion is positional value? For example, would the Steelers draft TE Tyler Warren, even though they don’t need him? And are they including him in the discussion of really good players they wouldn’t trade away from?
For most fans, their mind is going to turn immediately to the defensive linemen. There are three primary names in this discussion: Derrick Harmon, Kenneth Grant, and Walter Nolen. Depending on whom you ask, they could rank in any order. Most, though, seem to think at least one or two will be available for the Steelers at No. 21. But how many of them would be available at No. 25 or No. 27, for example, if they traded down?
The other position garnering attention is quarterback, of course, which makes for an interesting discussion. The Steelers basically said they want to trade back—though doesn’t everybody? They also implied they’re confident enough in a really good player being there at 21 that they don’t expect to trade back. And if you like a quarterback in the first round, you’re not trading back.
The Steelers’ 2024 season has come to its predictably inauspicious end, with yet another one-and-done postseason for HC Mike Tomlin. The offense faltered, and the defense matched it blow for blow, leading to a 21-0 first-half deficit.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. There are other major decisions to make, as well, such as what to do with George Pickens. Do you sign him to an extension, try to trade him, or let him play out his rookie contract?
The Steelers started the 2024 season 10-3, with Mike Tomlin in the Coach of the Year conversation. Wash, rinse, and repeat, and we have another late-season collapse. This may be the worst yet, a four-game losing streak presaging a one-and-done playoff “run”. Welcome to Steelers football.
