The Steelers should do everything they can to acquire premium picks in next week’s draft

In early March, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced they had acquired Pro Bowl receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a 2nd-Round pick in the 2025 NFL draft. It was a bold and necessary move for a team that was not talented enough at the receiver position, and needed an upgrade.

Now, the Steelers need to get that pick back.

Maybe not that pick, exactly. But they need to acquire additional resources in the draft. As things currently stand, they own picks in Round 1 and Rounds 3-7. Their pick in Round 4 is #123 overall, which means they will have just two selections — #21 and #83 — inside the top 120. While landing Metcalf was great, Pittsburgh has far too many other needs to find themselves so limited in access to the best players in the draft.

What can they do about it? Before we answer that question, let’s look at why accumulating additional picks inside the top 120 is so important.

First, there is a need for players who can contribute immediately at several positions. Running back is one, where Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell comprise the current backfield. Both are nice players, but neither has held more than a complimentary role throughout their career. Relying on either to absorb much of the workload that was lost when Najee Harris departed for Los Angeles in free agency is risky.

Defensive line is another. Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton are a solid duo, and Daniel Ekuale, who was signed in free agency, started 16 games for New England last season. But Heyward, while still playing at an All-Pro level, is 36 years old, and Ekuale is better suited as a depth piece. The remainder of the defensive line group consists of career backups like Isaiahh Loudermilk, Dean Lowry, and Montravius Adams. Adding a young player who can work into the rotation immediately is paramount.

What about wide receiver? That group looks good on paper, with Metcalf and George Pickens outside and Calvin Austin III in the slot. Roman Wilson, Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek provide adequate depth. Pickens is entering the final year of his contract, though, and questions as to how he and Metcalf will co-exist are warranted. If Pickens is moved, as many have speculated he may be, the Steelers will need to spend a premium draft pick on a replacement.

Cornerback is another area that needs an infusion of talent. Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay give the team a pair of solid starters. But Slay is 34 years old and on a one-year deal. Behind him, there’s Cory Trice, James Pierre, and Brandin Echols. This group could be in worse shape, but a young, talented corner would certainly help.

Oh, and in case you haven’t heard, the Steelers need a quarterback. Maybe. Or not. Who the hell knows.

With six overall draft picks, the team has enough selections to fill its most pressing needs. But let’s get realistic. Few players drafted outside the top 120 become regular contributors.

If we look at Pittsburgh’s last ten drafts, only Jesse James (#160 in 2015), Kevin Dotson (#135 in 2020), Dan Moore Jr. (#128 in 2021), and Austin III (#138 in 2022) earned a starting spot. That’s four out of the 41 total players the Steelers drafted outside the top 120 in that time. Others contributed on special teams or filled a role for a brief period of time. Players like Tyler Matakevich, Jaylen Samuels, Zach Gentry, Isaiah Buggs, Connor Heyward, and Nick Herbig come to mind. But the Steelers need more than a Samuels, Gentry, or Buggs to bolster some of their weaker areas in this draft. They need guys who can be more impactful contributors.

There’s no guarantee they’ll find those players inside the top 120. Pittsburgh has struggled to ace the draft in recent years, even in premium spots. Players like Artie Burns, Devin Bush, Chase Claypool, and Kenny Pickett did not live up to expectations. Still, there’s a much greater chance of landing a starter or quality depth player inside the top 120 than beyond it. Consider this: of the 22 players currently listed as starters on Pittsburgh’s depth chart (including Mason Rudolph at quarterback), 18 were taken inside the top 120, either by the Steelers or someone else. Only Austin III and Warren on offense, and Loudermilk and DeShon Elliot on defense, were not.

The bottom line is this: if you want players who can help your team sooner than later, or even at all, chances are you’ll find them in the first 120 picks. The Steelers, at present, hold just two of those.

What can they do to acquire more? The options are limited. Trading down in the first round may be the best way to do it. That could be a realistic scenario on draft night. This is a deep draft for defensive linemen and running backs, two position groups atop Pittsburgh’s list of needs. It’s quite possible when the Steelers select at #21 they may find some attractive options down the board a bit, and could look to move back in exchange for a top 120 pick.

They could also trade Pickens, although that would likely be a lateral move. They’d be acquiring another top 120 pick, presumably, but they’d have to use one to replace him.

Omar Khan could get creative with future picks, but with the draft in Pittsburgh next year, and the Steelers possibly looking to move up to land a premium quarterback, that seems unlikely. Khan could also trade a player besides Pickens, although the Steelers don’t seem deep enough at any position group to warrant such a deal. Unless they shock the football world by moving a star like T.J. Watt or Minkah Fitzpatrick. That also seems unlikely.

It may not be easy, but the hope here is that, one way or another, the Steelers pull it off. They need quality depth in a host of places, and drafting inside the top 120 is the best way to find it.

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