Steelers Trade Up to Take Rome Odunze in Pro Football Network’s Latest Mock

Since the start of the offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers have re-shaped much of their roster with the wide receiver room being one of the biggest overhauls. The only contributors from last season that will return are George Pickens and Calvin Austin III. Coincidentally, they are the only two wide receivers that are under contract past the 2024 season.

In Pro Football Network’s Brian Blewis’ latest mock draft, he has the Steelers making another bold move, this time trading up inside of the top-10 for a wide receiver. In the proposed trade, the Steelers would send three picks (No. 20, No. 51, No. 84) to the Chicago Bears for pick No. 9 in the 2024 NFL Draft.

With pick No. 9, Blewis has the Steelers selecting Rome Odunze who is coming off of a career year at Washington. Last season, Odunze hauled in 81 receptions for 1,428 yards and 13 touchdowns, all of which were the highest of his career.

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“The Pittsburgh Steelers have become a much more active team in the trade market under GM Omar Khan than in years past, and they make an aggressive move here to draft Rome Odunze,” Blewis noted.

After the trade of Diontae Johnson, the Steelers need of wide receiver help skyrocketed and with the initial signings at the position via free agency, the team’s need is still very much real.

“After trading away Diontae Johnson, the Steelers created a big hole at the wide receiver position opposite George Pickens,” Blewis wrote. “They added Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins in free agency, but neither player moves the needle for them by any means.”

If the Steelers were to make this or a similar trade, it would give the impression that the team felt that their championship window is open due to the willingness to give up their top three selections in the draft.

The Steelers, under Mike Tomlin, have never drafted a wide receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft which puts another dash in this possibility. Regardless, it is more likely than not that the Steelers select at least one wide receiver in the upcoming but the chances that they mortgage their draft capital to do so is minimal.