Trade History
This point aids in two-fold. For starters, it used to be that teams inside a division would rarely, if ever, trade with each other. That mentality seems to be going more and more by the wayside though, and the Steelers are no exception to this. Just last year they traded with the Ravens for Chris Wormley and a few years before they sent Sammie Coats to the Browns who also sent them Justin Gilbert (these were two different trades, but still with a divisional opponent).
While the Ravens will be more inclined to trade with someone else, if the Steelers are the only team offering a first-round pick, they wouldn’t hesitate to make the move. The real history that needs to be talked about is the Steelers’ lack of history in trading first-round picks. That all changed when the team acquired Minkah Fitzpatrick though, so the team could look to ship out their first this year in hopes of getting a similar talent.
While going two years without a first wouldn’t be ideal, the team showed last year that they can succeed without a top pick. Despite not picking on day one, the Steelers still had one of the best drafts in the NFL. If they aren’t sure about the crop of tackles in this draft, making the move for Brown makes sense.