You cannot say Omar Khan has made things dull since he became the General Manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has remained active during his first three years with the club. He has brought a breath of fresh air into an organization that has tried to walk the line between traditional and new-age approaches to the game. Being an aggressive GM brings mixed results.
Some of his moves have worked out in a big way, while others are still up-in-the-air.
With the countless moves Khan has pulled off since taking over after the 2022 offseason, it's hard not to see the difference between the tenure of Kevin Colbert and what Khan's has looked like. He has pulled off additions that are still highly regarded, but he has also struggled in other departments. No matter how things shake out, Khan will remain aggressive in his chase to turn this organization into a contender.
Pittsburgh Steelers GM Omar Khan graded well with his creative roster building
2022 saw Omar Khan only make one splash move in a short period of time
Khan jumped into the main chair following the 2022 NFL Draft, resulting from long-time GM Kevin Colbert retiring. It was an odd year for Khan because he had no say in how free agency or the draft transpired. Colbert left him a mess with a bad offseason. Khan did pull off the famous Chase Claypool trade, which helped the Steelers during the 2023 NFL Draft.
Most of the 2022 season was a direct result of Colbert's misguided moves that offseason, so it's hard to grade Khan's performance outside of the Claypool deal.
READ MORE: Steelers WR trade history shows why moving on from Pickens makes sense
Khan's first offseason as GM brought a wealth of turnover to Pittsburgh
No one knew what to expect from Khan going into his first offseason as the Steelers' top decision-maker. He produced an active free agency, landing four starters and a handful of effective depth players. While some of his additions in free agency were terrific signings, others haven't caught on. Time has proven his first crop of free-agent acquisitions was up and down for a myriad of reasons.
The 2023 NFL Draft produced a crop of rookies brimming with potential with mixed outcomes.
Khan got high praise for his first draft class as the general manager in Pittsburgh. Most of his draft class still has plenty to prove going into this year. He landed three starters, but none of them have morphed into stars. He also selected four depth players who have become role players for the team. The jury is still out on his first draft class, but it could go either way regarding a home run or a flub.
2024 was the season where Khan admitted the faults of his predecessor
Last year might've been the most active Khan has been since taking the top job. He made three franchise-altering trades that saw Justin Fields enter the fold and Kenny Pickett get shipped out of town. The team also moved on from Diontae Johnson after they became concerned about his locker room presence.
Each trade was good in theory, but Khan's lack of a plan to replace Johnson remains a problem.
Free agency saw Khan spend his cap space. He made some big moves, but he also added some fantastic value signings. He gained four starters during this portion of the offseason, with two being value deals. He also made some mistakes by adding some veteran pieces that haven't panned out. Either their roles were insignificant, or they struggled with injuries.
It's too early to judge the 2024 draft class one way or another. Khan appears to have a strong draft class on his roster, but injuries have hindered the group. If they can turn around their injury problems, this could be a terrific outcome for the organization. The arrow is pointing up for this class, but they must find ways to stay healthy and produce quality starts in Year 2.
It's too early to tell how Khan's 2025 season will turn out, but there are positive signs
Acquiring DK Metcalf and signing him to a massive extension was unheard of throughout the Steelers' history. Pittsburgh was excited to see Metcalf paired with George Pickens, but Khan moved the toxic personality just days after the 2025 NFL Draft.
Khan must show he learned from last year's mistake and must find an adequate replacement for Pickens before the season starts.
Overall, Pittsburgh's free agency crop wasn't as exciting as last year. They remained active, but most of the additions were depth players outside of maybe one or two players. The Steelers will have to see how these free-agent pickups look this preseason to figure out if they will become starters. It wasn't an exciting group, outside of Aaron Rodgers, but they could become value contracts if they produce.
There were glaring holes for Khan to overcome during the 2025 NFL Draft. They mixed needs and values throughout their selections. Other than their final two picks, each player appears to be fantastic value. Just like any draft class, time will tell how the Steelers can grade this group. The success of their respective careers or failures will alter the grade of this offseason for years to come.