3 Potential First Round Draft Scenarios for the Steelers

The countdown is on, and we are now less than a week away from the 2025 NFL Draft. This is always an exciting time of year, breaking up the offseason and months without football. The draft continues to become a bigger and bigger event every year for fans. While there was something to be said for the draft always being hosted at Radio City Music Hall, I feel like it is great for different fan bases that it now moves from year to year. I am excited for the draft being hosted in Pittsburgh in 2026 for sure!

Admittedly, I am a much larger NFL fan than a college football fan. Thus, I historically tend to learn more about college players as they enter the draft versus watching their collegiate careers. With that being said, thinking about the draft and trying to predict your team’s moves is always fun. After considering some team needs and top prospects of this year’s draft, here are 3 potential first round scenarios for the Steelers that I would like to see as a fan.

1. Staying Put at Pick #21 and Drafting a Defensive Lineman

There has been a lot of trade talk amongst fans, and this outcome isn’t flashy. It may disappoint some fans. For me, I feel like this is the most likely scenario for the Steelers. Honestly, I would be okay with it. This draft class is fairly deep at defensive tackle, and the Steelers have an obvious need. The way the Steelers played free agency this year, they are screaming that they will address DT in the draft. Depending on which player they like better and which they think would be a better fit, I could see them taking one of two players here:

• Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan
  • Grant stands 6’4″, 331lb, and is seen as more of a nose tackle according to some scouts. Playing in the Big Ten for three seasons, Grant certainly saw fierce competition in that conference. He was also part of the 2023 National Champion Michigan Wolverines as a starter. While winning a national championship in college is certainly not everything, there is something to be said for a player coming from a winning culture. Those players understand the dedication, hard work, determination, and level of teamwork it takes to emerge victorious in the biggest moments. While there is a winning culture in Pittsburgh, I feel a team can never have too many players who know both what it takes and what it means to win.
• Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
  • At 6’4 1/2″, 313lb, Harmon is viewed as a versatile player that could play multiple positions on the defensive line. After playing his first 3 seasons at Michigan State, Harmon transferred to Oregon for his senior year. Similar to Kenneth Grant, he played his entire career in the Big Ten Conference against top competition. Multiple scouting profiles have likened his game to that of Cam Heyward, but Harmon has a larger frame. A bigger version of Cam Heyward along the Steelers defensive line? Sign me up, please.

While I think Derrick Harmon may be a better fit for the Steelers, I would be content if either of these men were drafted at pick 21.

2. Draft a WR and Move Pickens

Another possibility I have considered is for the Steelers to target a wide receiver in the first round. Maybe the front office really loves someone like Emeka Egbuka from Ohio State. He is known to be a hard worker and has a positive locker room presence from all accounts. Tetairoa McMillan, at 6’5″, 212lb, is a talented man with a large frame to throw to on the outside. Could the Steelers front office see him as a perfect complement to DK Metcalf? Matthew Golden, another top wide receiver prospect from Texas, is a speedster who ran a 4.29s 40-yard dash. Speed kills at any position.

If Pittsburgh is in love with one of these prospects, maybe they look WR in round 1 and get their defensive lineman later. Should they draft a wide receiver, maybe they look to trade George Pickens for more draft capital this year to address other needs. If this were to happen, I would love to see them get a 3rd or 4th round pick for him in 2025.

I think this outcome is less likely, but I would certainly be okay with it!

3. Trade Back in Round 1

Given that Pittsburgh does not have a second round pick this year, trading back in the first round to obtain more picks sounds like a good plan. However, I think the possibility of this depends on two things:

1.) Will there be a coveted player there at 21 who might not be at 23 (or later)?

2.) Will the Steelers have a trading partner at this point in the draft?

A recent report suggests that the Kansas City Chiefs are looking to trade up in round 1. Maybe they give the Steelers a call. Perhaps there will be a run on quarterbacks, and a quarterback-needy team will panic and try to strike a deal. The Cleveland Browns and New York Giants come to mind.

I would be very okay with this outcome so long as the Steelers feel good about the players they could draft later in round 1. However, if trading back means passing on someone they think could be a generational talent at 21, I want them to simply stay put.