2025 NFL Draft•NFL Combine•Steelers News
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan at a press conference to introduce head coach Mike McCarthy on Jan. 27, 2026. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
INDIANAPOLIS — The Pittsburgh Steelers are projected to have 12 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. That’s a ton of ammunition to move up or down the draft board.
“It gives us options. I don’t know at the end to the day if we’re going to have 12 picks. Maybe we’ll end up with 10, maybe we’ll end up with four. Who knows? It’s a lot. We’ve got a franchise where we trying to win a Super Bowl. We’ll build from here,” Steelers general manager Omar Khan said at the NFL Combine on Tuesday.
Khan also said trading for 2027 picks is on the table.
“Certainly, that’s a possibility,” he said.
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan during the 2025 NFL Draft on April 24, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
NFL Network’s top draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah revealed during his pre-combine press conference that it would make more sense for the Steelers to trade down than up in the 2026 NFL Draft.
I think it’s a good Day 2. I would not anticipate the Steelers part with those picks to move up in this draft,” Jeremiah said. “First overall, I think they’ve done a really good job of investing in bigs. Usually you move up for quarterbacks or bigs. Quarterbacks, pass rushers — those are usually the ones you go up for or tackle. Well they’ve invested in the offensive and defensive lines and there’s not a quarterback that’s gonna be worth chasing, so I don’t really see them moving up for any of these other guys.
“The perimeter need that they have, wide receiver there will be good options for them. (If) they want to go in the corner department, there’s going to be ways they go there as well, or anywhere in the secondary. Safety could be in the mix, as well. To me, I don’t really see that as a direction. If anything just because of the uncertainty of the quarterback position going off in the future, I would think they’ll be more likely to put that car in reverse than forward, just to get some extra assets either this year or next year. I just don’t think it would make a lot of sense for them.”
This year’s class of quarterbacks are not as impressive as evaluators expected. Outside of Fernando Mendoza, who’s expected to go to the Las Vegas Raiders at No.1 overall, there’s really not an elite quarterback out there. Maybe the Steelers would take a chance on Ty Simpson. But next year’s class is projected to be a lot better.
That’s why trading for 2027 picks could be the best option for the Steelers long-term.
“You could try and use one of those picks to accumulate picks next year,” Jeremiah said. “Where as least on the surface, this far out, looks like it could be one of the best drafts we’ve seen in a very long time with high premium, high-end talent. And if you don’t feel like your quarterback of the future is in the draft, getting another lottery ticket next year would make some sense just to give yourself more ammunition.”
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Indianapolis.
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