Who do the Steelers target if they trade up to the 9th selection in the NFL Draft?

As draft day nears, most Steelers fans wonder whose name will be called when the Steelers are on the clock. The latest rumors have the Steelers trading out their 17th pick.

  The notion of the Steelers trading out of their current slot is not unique. Many have suggested they trade back because the potential remaining players available at pick 17 might not be worthy of a selection that high. Others have suggested trading the 32nd pick to acquire more draft capital. Others felt they have enough draft capital to perhaps trade up to get the player they want. It did seem that the Steelers might be content standing pat at pick 17 since they also own pick 32 and pick 59.

However, the latest rumors spreading across the internet indicate that Omar Kahn and Mike Tomlin have a specific player in mind. One they want to draft but one who may not be on the draft board when they are on the clock; thus, the Steelers have initiated trade talks with the Bears to perhaps trade up to the 9th spot. Which leads to two questions: what would the Steelers have to trade to acquire the 9th pick, and who are they targeting if they are trading up?

While the question of what they would need to trade is not the predominant question as they can probably acquire the 9th pick fairly easily as the Bears received a lot of draft capital trading back to the 9th selection with Carolina.

The question of who they draft is slightly more muddled now. When rumors began to surface that the Steelers were talking with the Bears about a trade, it seemed they were poised to obtain a premier offensive tackle. Now many suspect they have a defensive lineman in mind, leading to numerous other questions concerning a trade-up decision.