3 dream scenarios for the Steelers in Round 1 of the NFL Draft

In his first NFL Draft as general manager, Omar Khan made a statement. The new Pittsburgh Steelers GM was able to land talented players at important positions on each day of the draft, and the results already look very promising.

Now Khan has a chance to follow this up with another brilliant showing during the 2024 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, the talent doesn't always line up with the need, and teams are sometimes forced to ignore the top players on the board to fill glaring holes on their roster.

Steelers fans have developed trust in Khan early in his tenure, and we want that to continue with another excellent draft class. We all dream about what Pittsburgh could do in the first round this year. Here are the three somewhat realistic dream scenarios for the Steelers in Round 1 of the NFL Draft.

1. Taliese Fuaga falls to Steelers at pick 20

The Pittsburgh Steelers desperately need to upgrade Dan Moore Jr., and shifting Broderick Jones back over to left tackle should be a high priority. Because of this, finding a quality right tackle early in the draft would be ideal.

JC Latham and Amarius Mims may both be options at pick 20, but they aren't as safe as we would like them to be. Mims has a concerning injury history and has played very few snaps in college, while some think Latham will be best as a guard at the next level.

Taliese Fuaga is an outstanding prospect with a true first-round grade thanks to his quick feet, power, and excellent tape at Oregon State over the past two seasons. He doesn't have the freakish length that Khan and Andy Weidl desire with just 33 1/8'' arms, but Fuaga checks every other box and projects as a long-time starter at right tackle. This would be the best possible outcome if the Steelers stay at pick 20.

2. Steelers trade back to pick 23 and take Amarius Mims

I really like the upside of what the Steelers could be getting in Amarius Mims, but because of his lack of experience and shaky injury history, this is far from a safe player. Still, because of his unmatched size and length with quality traits, I'm certainly not opposed to the idea of taking him at pick 20.

However, in a dream scenario, I would love for Pittsburgh to be able to trade back several spots and still land Mims. A trade with the Minnesota Vikings at pick 23 could make sense, as the Vikings already have their tackles, and the Steelers could stay in front of a team like the Dallas Cowboys.

If Khan is able to pull this off, the Steelers could land the player they wanted all along and pick up an extra Day 2 selection in the process. This would give them a starting tackle to pair with Broderick Jones and would have Pittsburgh set up perfectly to knock it out of the park with loads of capital on the second day of the draft.

3. Steelers trade back to pick 28 and take Graham Barton

There are very few trade-up scenarios that make sense for the Pittsburgh Steelers this year. This team obviously isn't moving up for a quarterback, and the offensive tackles probably aren't worth jumping up to grab, considering the steep cost they would have to pay.

However, trading back could be on their radar.

My third-favorite dream scenario is to have the Steelers trade back with the Buffalo Bills to pick 28. The Bills are in the market for a wide receiver after trading Stefon Diggs, so they could move up to pick 20 and Pittsburgh could move back in the first round and pick up an extra Day 2 pick. Pittsburgh might even be able to add Buffalo's 60th overall pick in the second round if they throw in their compensatory third-rounder (pick 98 overall).

With the trade back, it would be a dream for the Steelers to land a player like Graham Barton. The former Duke offensive tackle would be a center for Pittsburgh, but his David DeCastro-like physique will allow him to play anywhere he's needed on the offensive line.