4 positions for Steelers to target at NFL trade deadline

We can count down the hours until the NFL trade deadline at 4 p.m. ET on November 5, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have yet to make a move. This isn't due to a lack of effort. Omar Khan and the front office have been diligent in their pursuit of a wide receiver upgrade but to no avail.

However, wide receiver isn't the only position that could use an upgrade before the deadline. Pittsburgh is playing their best football in years and their most important players (T.J. Watt, Russell Wilson, and Cam Heyward) are in their 30s.

The Steelers could capitalize on a Super Bowl window and the time to strike is now. Here are four positions Pittsburgh should target before the sun sets on the NFL trade deadline.

1. Wide receiver

This one isn't hard to figure out. Though Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson are coming off their best games as Steelers, both players would be best suited for less important roles on offense. Landing a true WR2 would take attention away from George Pickens while bumping Austin and Jefferson down a spot in the pecking order.

The Steelers are one Pickens injury away from being a completely non-threatening offense. Since the 2024 offseason, this has been Pittsburgh's biggest need and Khan should leave no page unturned to make something happen before the deadline.

2. Nose tackle

Anchoring nose tackles with bullish strength against the run don't grow on trees, but this is exactly the type of player that could take Pittsburgh's defense to the next level. The Steelers haven't had a true nose tackle in years.

Instead, Keeanu Benton has been forced into the role out of necessity (even though his skill set is much better suited for a penetrating 3-technique who can offer pressure on the quarterback). With seven teams sitting at just 2 wins at the halfway point of the season and others likely out of the mix soon, the Steelers should be calling to see which squad could offer an anchor to bolster their run defense.

3. Cornerback

Pittsburgh's cornerbacks haven't been bad this year, and it was encouraging to see undrafted rookie Beanie Bishop Jr. earn NFL Rookie of the Month honors for October. Still, this team is both thin and worrisome at the boundary CB position outside of Joey Porter Jr.

Donte Jackson has had some impressive moments this season, but in recent weeks, he has been exposed as a weak link in the secondary. With Cory Trice Jr. still not ready to come back from a hamstring injury, Pittsburgh's only option if Porter or Jackson gets hurt is to deploy James Pierre (and we know how that experiment has gone over the years).

Pittsburgh doesn't necessarily need to find a starting cornerback, but a needle-mover would go a long way for their defense. At the very least, more depth at the position is required and they should look for opportunities to improve this group before the trade deadline.

4. Offensive tackle

At this rate, it's hard to believe that Broderick Jones will be anything more than a low-end starter or swing tackle in the future for Pittsburgh. But things could be even worse. We saw what happened when Dan Moore Jr. was forced to exit the Giants game for just one play. Backup Calvin Anderson was dusted by the edge rusher to allow an easy sack on Russell Wilson.

Because rookie first-rounder Troy Fautanu is out for the season, the Steelers are one OT injury away from deploying a deplorable player who can't even function in a starting offensive tackle role. This would be the collapse of the offense as we know it.

The Steelers could either trade for a right tackle to supplant Jones or a swing tackle who would offer security at the position if Moore or Jones goes down with an injury.