Holding 12 picks in the upcoming NFL Draft gives the Pittsburgh Steelers a unique range of opportunities. While the team enters the draft with several pressing needs, the sheer volume of selections makes trade scenarios increasingly likely. The Steelers should be willing to pay a premium to move up the board and address their long-standing need at wide receiver.
NFL Network’s Eric Edholm recently released an article outlining several potential draft day trades.
One of those scenarios has the Steelers maneuvering their way back into the first round. While Edholm stops short of presenting a full mock draft, he clearly explains the logic behind each projection. In his scenario, Pittsburgh selects Olaivavega Ione with the 21st pick before moving back into the opening round.
In Edholm’s scenario, the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks serve as the trade partner. The Steelers pay a significant price to move up and select Jodryn Tyson with the 32nd overall pick. That outcome would be somewhat surprising, as many believe Tyson should come off the board much earlier despite his injury concerns. Those red flags could cause his draft stock to slide.
Pittsburgh Steelers trade up for WR Jordyn Tyson creates perfect dream draft scenario
It is easy to follow the logic of the Steelers moving up 21 spots to work their way back into the first round. Seattle gains significant value in the deal by acquiring four picks from Pittsburgh’s stockpile of selections. Although the Steelers pay a steep price to return to the opening round and select Tyson, they would have nine total picks to fill out the entire draft class.
While the Steelers would have to pay a steep price to complete this move, adding a receiver with Tyson’s upside would be well worth the cost.
Coming out of the first day of the draft with both Ione and a dynamic playmaker like Tyson would represent a best-case scenario for Pittsburgh. The team would secure a physical guard ready to step into the vacancy left by Isaac Seumalo, while also adding Tyson to bring a unique and explosive element to the offense.
Looking ahead to the draft, the likelihood of an explosive receiver falling to this spot remains slim. Tyson possesses immense talent and is widely regarded as a top-three prospect at his position. Unless his lingering hamstring injury lingers, this type of slide is unlikely to occur. ESPN currently ranks Tyson as the 12th-best prospect on its draft board, according to its best available rankings.
Not only would a significant slide that pushes Tyson to the end of the first round be unrealistic, but even his availability at Pittsburgh’s pick at 21 remains unlikely.
While the Steelers would certainly have interest in adding a wide receiver early in the draft, they also have several other needs to address. Although Edholm outlines a dream scenario for the franchise, fans should be cautious about getting their hopes too high.