The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off today, and if the pre-draft chatter is accurate, we could see some wild trade moves around the league. Since the start of the 2026 league year, there have already been 23 trades (compared to just 15 during the same span last year). Now the Pittsburgh Steelers could be poised to get in on the trade action.
For months, we've heard trade rumors and buzz surrounding outside linebackers Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig. The Steelers have a dilemma—Herbig wants to play and be paid like a full-time edge rusher. But with Highsmith and T.J. Watt ahead of him, this isn't happening.
A Highsmith trade during the draft could help solve that problem.
While general manager Omar Khan admitted that most trade talks don't materialize, we know teams have come calling. Because of his youth, Herbig might be the more exciting option for inquiring NFL teams, but trading away Highsmith makes more sense for Pittsburgh.
This mock draft-day trade outlines a scenario that could unfold during the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers trade Alex Highsmith to the Dallas Cowboys in this mock NFL Draft trade
In this mock trade scenario, I have the Steelers getting aggressive to move up in Round 1. Pittsburgh sends pick No. 20 and Alex Highsmith to the Dallas Cowboys for pick No. 12.
Though Khan and the front office have more than enough draft capital to get to a top-12 pick, should they choose, they may be more willing to part with a veteran than a second-rounder.
In my final Steelers mock draft, I had the Steelers making a similar trade with Dallas to move up in the first round. But instead of Highsmith, it cost Pittsburgh their first and second-round picks to get pick No. 12.
According to the NFL Draft Trade Value Chart, a second-rounder is almost exactly what it would take for the Steelers to move up this far in the draft on a typical year. With the Cowboys' desperate need for pass-rush help since trading away Micah Parsons, and with their new-look 3-4 defense under defensive coordinator Christian Parker, Highsmith would be a prototype fit.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys are in a win-now window with Dak Prescott, who will turn 33 in July, and they are looking to make a legitimate run in the postseason over the next 2-3 seasons. Highsmith would give them a quality edge rusher with squeaky-clean character who would be ready to come in and produce right away.
Thus, Dallas' front office could view him as a player worthy of moving back nine spots in Round 1 to land. The Cowboys would grab Highsmith and still have back-to-back first-round selections at No. 20 and No. 21.
Though the Steelers don't want to part ways with a proven veteran pass rusher, trading Highsmith would instantly solve the dilemma of how to pay Herbig and get him on the field more often. And by holding onto all 12 draft choices, Pittsburgh would have plenty of capital to invest a pick back into the outside linebacker position.
Moving up to pick No. 12 would allow the Steelers to land one of the top players they met with during the pre-draft process—a player like USC wide receiver Makai Lemon or Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano. Of course, Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane also appears to be high on their draft wish list.
An Alex Highsmith move is hardly a foregone conclusion, but don't be surprised if something similar to this mock trade materializes during the 2026 NFL Draft.
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