It was speculated for quite some time that the Pittsburgh Steelers were looking to move George Pickens ahead of him being sent to the Dallas Cowboys. The chatter started to get louder around the 2025 NFL when it was reported that Pickens was being shopped for a Day Two pick. Eventually, they did get a Day Two pick, but in 2026 not 2025.
James Palmer of Underdog Fantasy recently explained on his podcast with Steve Smith Sr. why the team valued a 2026 pick over one from 2025.
“The compensation that they end up getting, this 3rd round pick in 2026 and this 5th round pick in 2027 and the comp picks they are going to have in 2027,” said Palmer. “They are aggressively, to my understanding, going after a quarterback in the 2026 Draft at the top of the draft which is a better class than this past one.”
Ever since the Steelers let players like Dan Moore Jr., Russell Wilson and Justin Fields walk in free agency this offseason, analysts have been connecting the dots on what the Steelers’ plans may be in the future. Specifically, compiling as many compensatory picks as possible to make a move up in the 2026 NFL Draft and select their future quarterback.
Omar Khan himself admitted that the compensatory pick strategy is one the team is using during his press conference on Friday.
“It was important for us to acknowledge the fact that we could be in a position to acquire comp picks next year,” Khan said Friday during a press conference via 93.7 The Fan. “You guys saw how we did things in the offseason.”
The George Pickens trade and its focus on the 2026 Draft only adds more ammo to the warchest, which is currently slated to include four compensatory picks. Seemingly teething with draft capital, it seems likely that Palmer’s explanation behind the team dealing Pickens for a 2026 pick has merit.
“People were talking about a George Pickens trade during the draft,” said Palmer. “They didn’t want 2025 capital, they wanted 2026 capital because that is where the talent is at quarterback.”
Like every year, despite what analysts say, we really don’t know what the 2026 quarterback class will look like. Certainly, it seems to have more interesting names like LaNorris Sellers, Garrett Nussmeier, Drew Allar and potentially Arch Manning, but none are the perfect prospect.
On top of that, the Steelers don’t seem like the only team loading up for the 2026 QB Draft class. Both the Rams and the Browns made draft day trades, hinting that they could be in the business for a trade up. Zin short, the focus on the 2026 class is a measured gamble and one that the Steelers need to make sure they hit on if they are going to turn the franchise around.
