With just over two weeks until the 2025 NFL Draft, it's hard to put your finger on the direction the Pittsburgh Steelers could take in the first round. Even after the dust settled on free agency, this team has no shortage of needs—none greater than the quarterback position.
The hope is that Aaron Rodgers still inks a contract with Pittsburgh before the draft, but Omar Khan and the front office can't pigeonhole themselves into making a rash decision to select a quarterback with the 21st overall pick.
On April 8, Mel Kiper Jr. dropped his latest two-round mock draft, and it's sure to catch fans off guard. Since the college football season ended, we've seen some consistent trends in mock drafts. Now, forget everything you know because, according to Kiper, all of that has gone out the window.
Before Pittsburgh is on the hypothetical clock in his latest mock, Kiper has some odd selections being made. The prominent NFL Draft expert has the Cowboys taking running back Omarion Hampton at pick 12, the Cardinals taking wide receiver Matthew Golden at pick 16, and the Buccaneers taking safety Nick Emmanwori at pick 19.
These selections set the stage perfectly for Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon to fall into the lap of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Harmon has a remarkable blend of size and athletic traits and projects as a long-term starter on the interior defensive line.
But as much as I can get on board with Harmon at pick 21, there's a better option for the Steelers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should trade back if the NFL Draft unfolds like Mel Kiper Jr. predicts it will
If you know you're getting a great football player, it's hard to want to trade back. But in this particular scenario, I can't imagine a Steelers fan who wouldn't be on board with this. Thanks to some of the questionable selections early in Kiper's mock, there's an array of talent still on the board.
In this two-round mock draft, Kiper has talented players and potential Steelers draft picks falling out of the first round entirely. He has Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka going to the Jaguars at pick 34 in the second round, Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III going pick 38 to the Patriots, Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen going pick 39 to the Bears, and Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant going pick 43 to the 49ers.
Most Steelers fans could get behind any of these selections at pick 21, let alone the early-to-mid second round. By trading back to the end of the first round—or even into the second round— Pittsburgh could skip to the podium to turn their card in for Egbuka, Burden, Nolen, or Grant—knowing they landed a very good player while earning an extra Day 2 pick in the process.
The Steelers are short on draft picks since trading for wide receiver DK Metclf. This would be the perfect way to recoup draft capital while still landing a player in the same tier as they would if they stand pat and select a player with the 21st overall pick.
Of course, there would need to be a willing trade partner. This could be a team like New York Giants jumping back into the first round to select a quarterback while gaining access to the valuable fifth-year option.
The Pittsburgh Steelers need as much talent to bolster the roster as they can get. What better way to do so than by trading back from pick 21, landing a talented player, and putting an extra high draft pick in their pocket?