Pittsburgh does not have to wait as long as the past couple of years. Even though their overall selection is closer to the start rather than the beginning of the draft, it will seemingly take forever. The Steelers hold the 17th overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft, and it is going to take a lot of time full of anticipation to get there.
Normally, this club likes to wait until their selection to make their pick, instead of looking into trade routes. Trade ups and downs have happened in the past, and do not be shocked if this new management group decides to go in that direction. There are plenty of clubs in front of the black and gold that could take a prospect that Pittsburgh covets in this draft class.
Washington Commanders could play spoiler one pick before Pittsburgh
Plenty of fans have seen their favorite prospect in that draft go just one pick before the Steelers were up. Cincinnati notoriously did it with William Jackson III in the 2016 NFL draft, which led to Pittsburgh taking Artie Burns one pick after. Even though Washington does not possess a bunch of similarities as the black in gold in terms of need, they do pose a threat at cornerback.
Joey Porter Jr. is someone that has been heavily linked to the steel city and for good reason. The Commanders have shown a chunk of interest in Porter during the pre-draft process. Depending on how the first round shakes out, it is possible that this cornerback would be the best player left on the board. Many might not be cheering for this Penn State product to be the top pick now, but he could be if a scenario plays out like this.
New York Jets could be the last hurdle for the Steelers in getting an offensive tackle
New York currently holds the 13th overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft, and that should secure them one of the top tackle prospects this year. Aaron Rodgers still needs to be dealt to the Jets, so their draft positioning could always change between now and the actual pick. Taking a solid left tackle option with their first selection would be a wise idea, especially after giving up assets for a quarterback.
It seems less than likely that this team will have a shot at taking Paris Johnson Jr., as he is the consensus pick as the top left tackle prospect in this class. He has everything that a club looks for in a franchise guy, and he will likely go sometime in the top ten picks. That will leave the Jets with potential names like Broderick Jones and potentially Peter Skoronski to choose from.
More than likely, this is where the last of the three top tackles between Johnson, Jones, and Skoronski end up on night one. The Steelers would need to trade up around ten spots to secure someone like Johnson, but that will probably not happen. New York is going to be a major hurdle for any fan that prays for a top tackle to magically fall to pick 17 in the first round.
Tennessee could be a major problem for offensive line help
Unless you have been living under a rock, many were putting a connection together between Taylor Lewan and the Steelers. The veteran tackle played nearly ten years with the Titans before injuries and his cap number failed their marriage. Once he hit the open market, he started talking on his podcast about wanting to end up with the black and gold, and that could still happen if the draft does not address tackle like the Steelers hope it will.
Anyhow, losing your starter at left tackle is a big deal in today’s NFL. Protecting your quarterback’s blindside is extremely important with how many times an offense passes the ball each game. Tennessee is a mess right now as they seemingly go into a full rebuild mode with both Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry reportedly on their trade block leading up to the draft.
There are plenty of needs for the Titans to select from, which could give Pittsburgh some false hope that they will pass over the tackle position. Unless a top quarterback falls to this portion of the draft, it is hard to envision the Titans going with another position. The Steelers should be concerned about Tennessee when it comes to their potential with drafting a top tackle this year.
Detroit could steal another cornerback from the Steelers for the second time
Detroit is currently haunting Pittsburgh as they took Cam Sutton earlier this offseason during the free agency portion. That was a big deal that they gave the former Steelers cornerback, and it should be money well spent. He was a solid contributor to the defense during his time here and emerged as the top dog for that group last season.
Even though the Lions were able to sign a top cornerback like Sutton in free agency, their secondary still has plenty of faults. Cornerback remains an issue that could find solutions early into the first round for Detroit. They will likely have their pick of the prospect pool as everyone predicts that every cornerback will be left on the board when their pick rolls around with the sixth selection.
Could the Lions haunt the dreams of Steelers Nation yet again? It would be the second time at the same position this offseason, but it could happen. This would be too rich for Porter to be picked, but it could set off a chain reaction at the position on night one. This could lead to plenty of other clubs in front of Pittsburgh's pick at 17 to go ahead and take out the top talents at corner by the time their turn to select comes around.
Chicago could either be a trade candidate or spoil the fun in Pittsburgh
Reports have been circulating recently that Omar Khan has been in contact with the Chicago Bears about a potential trade-up in the draft. That would be a bold move for the Steelers first year general manager, but he has not shied away from the spotlight throughout the offseason. If someone like Paris Johnson Jr. slipped to the Bears top pick at ninth overall, Pittsburgh would be foolish to not at least attempt to move up.
Chicago on the other hand would be foolish to not take Johnson themselves with pick nine at their disposal. unless they could fleece the black and gold. That is likely to not happen especially after what Khan did to the Bears in the Chase Claypool trade a handful of months ago. Would Chicago be so foolish to be fleeced again by the Steelers and give up a potential franchise left tackle? Only time will tell.
Interest in moving up is one thing, but pulling the trigger is another. It is unlikely that Pittsburgh would give up a king’s ransom to trade up that far in the draft for one player. They have moved up ten slots before to get a player, but that bit them when they picked Devin Bush. Johnson is a safe pick overall, but it would be insane for the Bears to pass him up at that juncture.