Omar Khan has 12 picks to work with in the 2026 NFL Draft, and perhaps that's enough. On Monday, the Pittsburgh Steelers general manager, alongside new head coach Mike McCarthy, spoke to the media in preparation for the draft. And one statement was telling.
Khan and McCarthy fielded questions about USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, potentially drafting a quarterback, and more. But one comment that really stood out was Khan's stance on trading away a proven veteran.
When asked about a potential trade involving a player, Khan was quick to note that there is a microscopic chance of something materializing, and that most 'trade calls' don't amount to anything.
"I'll tell you this, probably less than five percent of those [trade] calls turn out to be something. But, yeah, calls happen every week..." Khan told the media on Monday.
The two Steelers veterans who have been involved in trade conversations since early in the offseason are outside linebackers Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith. But based on Khan's comments, it doesn't look like either quality vet will be packing their bags during the NFL Draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers unlikely to trade quality veteran, based on Omar Khan's pre-draft comments
We have plenty of reason to take Khan's comments at face value. We know how this team operates, and the fact that Khan and team president Art Rooney II have been holding out hope for Aaron Rodgers to rejoin the team shows just how much they desire to win now. Trading away a good veteran player like Herbig or Higsmith would be counterintuitive to their primary objective.
This doesn't mean that Pittsburgh won't move up and down in the draft—they have a dozen picks to work with, after all. However, it greatly decreases the likelihood of pulling the trigger on a draft-day trade involving an important asset to the team.
There's a reason why Herbig and Highsmith have been linked to trades so frequently.
In addition to rumors about teams calling the Steelers, Pittsburgh is about to run into a Nick Herbig dilemma. The 2023 fourth-round pick has grossly outplayed his draft status. Herbig not only wants a massive contract extension, but he's made it clear he desires a full-time role on defense—something he hasn't had in Pittsburgh.
For this reason, Highsmith could also be a trade candidate that would solve this dilemma. By trading Highsmith and his manageable contract, the Steelers would get solid Day 2 draft capital while allowing Herbig to step into a bigger role.
While many fans can get behind the idea of the Steelers looking to get younger, stockpile draft picks, and build for the future, it sounds like there is only a small chance they would be willing to part with a quality veteran. This would have to come at the right price—an offer they can't refuse.
We're not ruling anything out, and as Khan said during the presser, 'all options are on the table'. But it feels unlikely that the Steelers will trade away Nick Herbig or Alex Highsmith during the draft, given Khan's latest comments.
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