The Pittsburgh Steelers aren't scheduled to pick until 17th overall on April 27th, when round one of the NFL Draft commences. To this point, the common thought is that Pittsburgh will select either an offensive tackle or a corner.  

But sometimes, a player is so transcendent, that a team may feel compelled to move heaven and Earth to acquire him. Jalen Carter is one of those talents. 

And following a recent tweet from a sourced former NFL Scout, we can put context clues together, making the possibility of Carter joining the Steelers not so far-fetched. 

There have been several rumors in the past few weeks that Pittsburgh wants to move up. I had been told it was for an OLineman but @peter_king today in his FMIA column says it may be for Jalen Carter. We’ll find out soon enough

— Greg Gabriel (@ggabefootball) April 17, 2023

Greg Gabriel worked in the league for over 30 years and was the director of college scouting for the Chicago Bears for over nine seasons. 

Meaning, he certainly has the experience and reputation to form sources around the league, evident by his note on the Steelers being a rumored trade partner in the upcoming draft. 

The interesting part is what he referenced from famed writer and NFL journalist Peter King, and what he included as part of his weekly Football Morning In America column. 

When discussing what he's been hearing about the NFL Draft, King noted the following about Pittsburgh:

Jalen Carter has two visits to top-10 teams left before Wednesday’s deadline for players to make pre-draft visits to teams, said King. That’s what agent Drew Rosenhaus told me Saturday. I’ll tell you the team that is the most perfect fit for Carter in the NFL: the Pittsburgh Steelers, who’d have to trade up from 17 to get him.

Now, I know what your saying. "What does that prove?" "Carter's agent said he wouldn't even meet with teams outside of the top 10 because he's guaranteed to be picked before the draft hits double digits". 

Yes, I know all of that, but I'm going to sort these pieces and put the puzzle together for you. 

For one, Steelers GM Omar Khan has been transparent in his draft strategy, admitting that all options, including trading up, are on the table. 

And when you consider the Steelers are armed with three picks in the top 50 of this years draft, and multiple top 100 picks in the 2024 draft, you can see how the capital required to pull of a trade is not an issue, 

Now, there's the question of if Pittsbrugh knows who they're getting in Carter, since he wasn't apart of any of the team's designated visits with prospects and he comes with some character concerns. 

But here's the kicker, not only were both Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan in person at Carter's pro day, but the Steelers organization as a whole has a long-standing relationship with Georgia football.

Whether it was selecting Hines Ward, George Pickens or all the players in between, the Steelers know as much as anyone when it comes to Carter, thanks to their relationship with the Georgia program. 

So the only question left to ask is:

How much are the Steelers willing to give up to get Carter?

We will either find out soon or be left to ponder forever.