Omar Khan Explains Steelers Comp Pick Focus
PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Steelers have amassed an estimated four compensatory draft pick slots for the 2026 NFL Draft, and could end up with a record-breaking haul in terms of comp pick return.
You can be sure that it’s intentional.
General manager Omar Khan spoke with the Pittsburgh media for the first time since the start of free agency at the 2025 NFL owner’s meetings on Monday, and he admitted that the Steelers have been conscious about acquiring compensatory picks this offseason, once it became clear they would be in a position to do so.
Teams can’t just decide they want to get in on the comp pick gravy train. A team being in position to capitalize on comp picks is usually a result of circumstances that are out of their control —or at least out of their control in the moment. Usually they’re the result of processes already enacted months or years before.
The Steelers’ top comp pick slot right now came in exchange for losing starting left tackle Dan Moore Jr. in free agency. The Steelers drafted offensive tackles in the first round of each of the last two drafts, and it’s been clear that they intended for Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu to both start at tackle in 2025.
So Moore was allowed to head to free agency, where he took home one of the biggest contracts in the entire class and gave the Steelers a lofty comp pick.
At quarterback, the Steelers took the unusual step of playing the 2024 season with all three of their quarterbacks on expiring contracts. It was clear they wouldn’t be able to sign both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, which opened up another comp pick slot. When they didn’t sign either of them, they ended up with two.
But it was clear early in the offseason that the Steelers were going to be in a position to benefit from the way the formula works, with incoming free agents weighed against outgoing. That’s when it becomes a conscious part of their process.
“We were in a position this year where we kind of understood where our contracts were with our free agents, and that a good possibility does exist for us to acquire comp picks, and so that’s always been a part of the process this year,” Khan said on Monday. “You guys are intelligent people, you guys can kind of read through it and see it, but the fact that we’ve had the opportunity acquire picks – I don’t know exactly how it’s going to shake out yet – but that’s obviously been something we’ve been taking into consideration.”
Once the Steelers started down that path, making moves like signing Darius Slay, who was released by the Philadelphia Eagles, and targeting Aaron Rodgers, another released player, in order to maximize the return.
The comp pick formula includes both salary and playing time, so currently all that can be gleaned from the situation is an estimate. That estimate is promising for the Steelers.
According to Over the Cap, the team is currently expected to get comp picks in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth round for Moore, Fields, Wilson and guard James Daniels. Donte Jackson and Najee Harris are also countable departures, currently being canceled out by Mason Rudolph and Malik Harrison. Elandon Roberts and Mike Williams are just under the current threshold as countable losses, while Brandin Echols and Daniel Ekuale are slightly farther under the same threshold as countable additions.
Four is the maximum number of picks the Steelers can acquire, and they appear to be in good shape to not only get four, but to get high-level draft capital out of the arrangement, as well.