1. Steelers have a desperate need at cornerback
More than anything else, the biggest reason a Steelers trade for Pat Surtain II is realistically on the table is the fact that Pittsburgh is desperate for cornerback help. Everyone should be thrilled with what Joey Porter Jr. has offered so far in limited action, and we can assume that he will soon graduate to a full-time role on defense. But if Porter plays every snap, this team still has major concerns.
Through the first six games of the year, Levi Wallace has managed to surrender more than 400 yards and 4 touchdowns in coverage, according to advanced stats from Pro Football Reference. Patrick Peterson's play hasn't been much better, as he is also looking like a liability. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh might have the worst starting slot cornerback in the league in Chandon Sullivan.
Outside of Porter, the Steelers have a concerning lack of investment at the cornerback position, and doing a patchwork job with fairly cheap free agents certainly isn't cutting it. I think the team is finally starting to understand this. We can't be the only ones who notice how much better a rookie JPJ is than the veterans they have on the roster.
Can you imagine pairing Joey Porter Jr. with Pat Surtain II at cornerback? So can the Steelers. With an addition like Surtain and the looming return of Cameron Heyward, Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan would know for sure that this team would have a chance to compete.