Wading into the Murky Waters of Steelers' Draft Trade Scenarios

From 2009 onward, it became much easier to project how first round picks would fare in the black and gold. Ziggy Hood was described accurately as a “jack of all trades, master of none” in his draft evaluation, a label that suited him just fine as he held down the defensive end position for five solid, yet very forgettable years. In 2010 and 2012, the Steelers drafted “can’t-miss” prospects at center and guard, Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro, perhaps the two best first rounders of the Tomlin era.

2011 featured Cam Hayward atop the Steelers’ draft. While he figured to translate and adapt well to the pros, Cam has since exceeded all expectations and has grown into a passionate, vocal leader on the Steelers defense for the better part of a decade. The same cannot be said of Jarvis Jones, 2013’s first rounder, who was a debacle of a pick in a draft class many consider the worst ever.

Time and good fortune will be main determinants for whether this year’s first round selection will be the next Jarvis Jones or the next TJ Watt. For one, time and experience can help turn a career around. Just ask Bud Dupree, who looked to be a poor first round selection until becoming a worthy complementary pass rusher to TJ Watt. But if a draft pick is lacking in good fortune, a career can end before it really begins. 2014 looked to be an incredible draft class highlighted by Ryan Shazier until a devastating spinal injury ended his career late into his fourth season.

No matter who we root for and who we want the Steelers to select at 20th overall, we can at least hope for some good fortune and good health to steer their career in the right direction. That said, it’s worth looking at some unenviable NFL draft scenarios that would sour any Steelers fan’s night, the most obvious of which includes their prospective QB depth chart.

All offseason, it seems the Steelers have been the lone voice around the league not lamenting their own quarterback situation. It’s almost bewildering. In an age of Steelers football marked by uncertainty at the team’s most important position, it’s crucial the Steelers get their heir apparent to Roethlisberger, especially considering Roethlisberger himself wasn’t the same Roethlisberger we came to know and love this past year and a half. Despite all this, the Steelers have remained decidedly mum on who they’d prefer to start under center.

Odds are that Mitchell Trubisky will start week one regardless of if the Steelers select a quarterback this year. According to multiple outlets, Mike Tomlin has remained steadfast in his preference not to hand over the reins of his team to a rookie. It would be more fitting for Tomlin to stick with Mason Rudolph, seeing as he has experience in the Steelers locker room, but neither Trubisky nor Rudolph at quarterback would fire up and inspire confidence in the Steelers fan base this year.

With the NFL Draft mere days away, the Steelers have thrown out a bit of a smoke screen to other NFL teams, perhaps tipping their hand at who they might pick while attempting to disguise their true intentions. A report from ESPN’s Matt Miller came out days ago asserting the Steelers have coveted Pitt’s Kenny Pickett in this year’s quarterback draft class over the likes of Malik Willis and Matt Corral. If believed, other teams would be tempted to pounce on Pickett and other first-round quarterbacks before the Steelers pick. Yet considering that this is an area of true need, given the age of several key pieces on the team who want nothing more than to win now, the Steelers cannot afford to wait one more year for their franchise quarterback.

Regardless, the Steelers could very well be scraping the bottom of rookie quarterback barrel come their time to pick Thursday night. With teams in the top 10 all in desperate need for signal callers, such as the Panthers, Falcons and Seahawks, the Steelers would have to hope that teams such as the Saints are comfortable going into another year with Jameis Winston. However, if the Saints at 16th overall turn out to be in the market for a quarterback, the Steelers may be forced to look at other positions, lest they feel comfortable reaching for the likes of UNC’s Sam Howell, who otherwise may fall into the second round.

A similar situation may plight this year’s crop of aspiring NFL wide receivers and prevent Pittsburgh from loading up its own receiving corp, especially if the situation is compounded by a run on quarterbacks. Atlanta, given Calvin Ridley’s suspension, would figure to be in the market for a talented receiver such as Ohio State’s Chris Olave or Garrett Wilson. Other prospects such as USC’s Drake London and Alabama’s Jameson Williams could be snatched up by teams such as the Saints and Eagles. Despite having the athletic albeit inconsistent duo of Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool onboard, the Steelers require more weapons to field a more competent, competitive offense this year and would be wise to consider this year’s wideouts.

No matter what fate befalls Pittsburgh come draft night, the Steelers may need to make big moves to stay in the mix for top-tier talent. This means moving up in the draft by trading away picks and potentially players. Yet in what is Kevin Colbert’s last NFL draft as general manager, trade scenarios that would allow the Steelers to move up don’t look all that promising or plausible. In the handful of picks prior to 20th overall, we have teams such as the Baltimore Ravens, who we can assume have no interest in trading away the 14th pick to help Pittsburgh reload. Other teams in the mix have already traded away prime picks and players to be in the positions they are now. And the Chargers, just three spots ahead of the Steelers, might as well sit tight and secure a premium offensive lineman for Justin Herbert.

Needless to say, Colbert’s been a risk-taker at times, exchanging future picks for young talent in order to win now. He’s done so with Troy Polamalu and Devin Bush in the past. A first-round pick was even traded for Minkah Fitzpatrick. While the results have been anywhere from inconclusive (Bush) to simply magical (Polamalu), it proves that Colbert’s willing to roll the dice for his team. If any of these scenarios play out, including a run on quarterbacks or wide receivers, Colbert and company might have to gamble and be a little risky to ensure the future of their historic franchise, knowing it takes two to tango for a trade on the night of the NFL Draft.