Remember how the Steelers traded up 10 spots to get linebacker Devin Bush with the No. 10 overall pick in 2019? Of course you do.
How do I know? Because I was reminded of it by many, many readers earlier this week, when I initially failed to include Bush in my list of the Steelers' five worst first-round NFL draft picks of the past 30 years.
When a team makes a trade in the first round, it comes with significant consequences.
Hit a home run with a draft trade, it can pay off big time, both immediately and long term.
But move up to get a guy and make a mistake, you've not only blown that pick, you've also hurt yourself by giving up later picks or draft position.
The trade up for Bush is a prime example of the latter.
One thing to consider with the Steelers, in particular, when it comes to the draft is that they pretty much never find themselves in position to have an early selection in the first round. That's how it goes when you're usually successful and making the playoffs a bunch, so the byproduct is picking in the upper teens or lower 20s most of the time.
Those middling draft positions are compelling when it comes to potential trades. And that's the case again this year, with the Steelers picking 17th.
They probably are not going to get the highest-rated player at any position picking 17th, so they may have to settle for the third- or fourth-best player, depending on the position.
And if they're already going to have to settle for the third- or fourth-best guy at 17, then hey, why not trade down a little? They still may be able to fill a major need, albeit it with a slightly lesser player, and also maybe get another pick or two in the later rounds.
Or ...
Shoot for the moon! Trade up a handful of spots to ensure they get one of the 2-3 best guys at a certain spot of need.
Following is a point-counterpoint between yours truly, Cory Giger, and Corey Crisan on whether the Steelers should trade up or trade down in the first round.
Now, truth be told, BOTH of us believe the team would be best off holding still at 17. And the Steelers very well might do just that. But depending on how things go with the first 10-12 picks, there's also a chance the team could decide to move up or down.
GIGER SAYS TRADE UP
There are three outstanding cornerbacks in this draft in Oregon's Christian Gonzalez, Illinois' Devon Witherspoon and Penn State's Joey Porter Jr.
I think there's very little chance any of those three will be available at 17. Therefore, this is a pretty easy decision for me.
Cornerback is the team's biggest need, in my view, and there's a pretty big dropoff from those top three guys to the rest of the field. So I believe the Steelers may need to find a way to jump up 3-4 spots to make sure they land one of the three.
Gonzalez and Witherspoon likely will be the first two corners off the board, although there's still a question of who could go first. Most mocks seem to have Porter as the third cornerback selected, and many people love the idea of the Steelers taking him 17th.
Not only do I believe Porter is the best choice for the Steelers in the first round, I also like him better than those other two in general because of the overall fit between player and team.
Let's assume the other two are off the board by 10-12 and Porter is the only one left. At that point, I say the Steelers should trade up to 13 or 14 and grab him.
What would that take, since we're only talking about three or four spots? Well, it still could be a steep price, such as maybe even giving up their 49th overall pick. I'm not sure the Steelers would do that because they do have numerous other key holes to fill, and they can get a really good player at 49.
Certainly, the Steelers could also roll the dice and just hope Porter does fall to them at 17. It would be a gamble, but not necessarily a big one, since again we're probably only talking about 3-4 spots.
CRISAN SAYS TRADE DOWN
Trading down means the acquisition of more draft capital. The one thing about draft capital is you can never have too much of it.
The Steelers have seven picks in this draft, but they are void of selections in the fifth and sixth rounds and have a current gap of 114 picks in between their slots in the fourth round (120) and seventh round (234). That is a massive hole and a TON of players which will be gone by the time Day 3 hits the home stretch in Kansas City.
Of the players who suited up for the Steelers in 2022, 11 were former third-round picks, the most from a given round on the team. Nine former first-rounders played for the Steelers in 2022, followed by eight former second-rounders and seven former fourth-rounders. (Nineteen players who suited up for the Steelers in 2022 went undrafted.)
The point is, getting back into Day 2 with another selection is an attractive thing to do, especially if the Steelers do not have to move too far back from 17 and double especially if the Steelers end up getting the player they want, anyway. There are multiple positions of need which can be addressed in the first round — namely the offensive line, the defensive line, and the secondary — and the Steelers can kill two birds (or more) with one stone by dropping back a few spots in the first round and potentially picking up another Day 2 or a high Day 3 pick in the process.
Let’s say the offensive line is the play here. Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski or Ohio State’s Paris Johnson could be in play at 17, or each of them could be taken already. What if the Steelers value Oklahoma’s Anton Harrison, Georgia’s Broderick Jones, or Ohio State’s Dawand Jones more, and there is a team willing to let the Steelers move back all while keeping them in position to take one of those three? The Steelers can have their cake and eat it, too, in that situation.
Picking up another Day 2 or high Day 3 pick opens up more options for those fifth- and sixth-round trades, as well. There is no such thing as too many options in this draft, and given the gap the Steelers have on Day 3, there is plenty of reason to at least try to move back and get back into the game in between 120 and 234, or before that.
