Steelers: ESPN insider names a potential trade-up scenario in NFL Draft
Pittsburgh Steelers GM Omar Khan may be gearing up to run his first-ever NFL Draft, doing so with one of the more storied franchises in the league. Instead of playing it safe, and sticking to his guns, it seems that Khan is open to all scenarios. ESPN insider Todd McShay has laid this out in his […]
Pittsburgh Steelers GM Omar Khan may be gearing up to run his first-ever NFL Draft, doing so with one of the more storied franchises in the league. Instead of playing it safe, and sticking to his guns, it seems that Khan is open to all scenarios.
ESPN insider Todd McShay has laid this out in his most recent piece, one that details what he's hearing surrounding the teams atop the league, including all the gossip surrounding the quarterback position.
But when his last nugget included a bombshell piece of information about the Steelers, he was sure to make headlines. So what has he heard you ask, well let's find out.
McShay said the following about Pittsburgh and their 17th overall positioning:
I've heard Pittsburgh has contacted multiple teams, including the Bears (No. 9) and Titans (No. 11), about trading up for an offensive tackle, said McShay. The Steelers need a long-term answer as protection for Kenny Pickett, and there are three potential cornerstone left tackles in this class who will be available in that range. It wasn't that long ago that Pittsburgh moved up in Round 1 and took linebacker Devin Bush, and we could see a similar move this year, albeit for a different position.
While there was clearly no need to remind Steelers fans of the Devin Bush trade, (low blow Todd) I can confirm that this isn't the first I have heard of them potentially trading up, with Peter King of Football Morning in America, and Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports echoing similar sentiments.
There's also the comments of GM Omar Khan, ones that pointed to any possibility of draft day outcomes, including the potential of a trade scenario.
Mark Kaboly who covers the Steelers for The Athletic said the following on Khan after his interaction with him back in at the league's owner meetings in March:
The self-proclaimed “aggressive” new general manager of the Steelers not only hasn’t ruled out moving up in the draft, but he’s keeping his eyes on the teams directly in front of them in case of an approaching no-man’s-land, said Kaboly. Now, the previous regime might have done the same, but it never broadcasted it as Khan did on Tuesday.
So now that we know this isn't just smoke, the only question is, who is the tackle they like the most, the player they are willing to leverage the future on, given the likely haul of picks needed to trade up? We will find the answer to that question soon enough.
