Should Steelers Have Traded Back From the 21st Overall Pick?
The Pittsburgh Steelers had plenty of talented players still available for them at pick No. 21 in the 2025 NFL Draft.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, should the Steelers have traded down to acquire some extra draft capital instead.
Steelers general manager Omar Khan dismissed that idea, noting that Harmon was one of the players they were never going to trade away from.
However, there would have still been a talented player available to Pittsburgh if it decided to execute a small trade down.
In addition to Harmon, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton, Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson, Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden, Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams and Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, among others, were all still on the board.
Harmon immediately addresses the Steelers’ aging defensive line after recording 45 tackles, five sacks and a pair of forced and recovered fumbles in 2024.
However, Pittsburgh has more than one hole to fill and just five picks remaining. The team is not slated to make its next pick until No. 83 in the third round, either.
If the Steelers would have traded down, they could have picked up an additional Day 2 pick while still addressing their vacant quarterback room, which has just Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson occupying it, adding another playmaker on offense or adding to their already star-studded defense before the end of the first round.
Khan just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to draft the versatile 6-foot-5, 313-pound defensive tackle.
“You guys have heard me talk about the big guys, and it just doesn’t apply to the offense side,” Khan said. “Those big guys, they are not easy to find. When you have an opportunity to get one, we’re going to get him.”
Pittsburgh will now have to find another way to get back into the second or third round if it wants to address more than one need on Friday.