The Pittsburgh Steelers are an absolute wild card heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. The team could realistically trade up or down in the event, and there are a handful of positions that are on the table for Pittsburgh. The obvious needs are along the defensive line, in the secondary, and at running back - but the quarterback situation also needs to be resolved. The franchise is waiting on a decision from Aaron Rodgers, and all signs are pointing towards him becoming the starter in Pittsburgh. If the organization lands the four-time MVP, that doesn't necessarily take it out of contention to draft a quarterback.
Pittsburgh currently holds the 21st pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and there is an off chance that either Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart will fall to that pick. Both could go in the top 10 as well, and Sanders could go as high as second overall. There has been some speculation that Sanders could fall down the draft board, and if that begins to happen, the Steelers will be an interesting team to watch. Pittsburgh could trade up for the quarterback, or wait to see if he falls all the way to 21. If General Manager Omar Khan decides to trade up, Pittsburgh will have an ideal trade partner.
Ben Devine is a trusted insider in Chicago, and the Chicago Bears have the 10th overall pick in the draft. The organization has had a very successful offseason up to this point where it addressed a lot of its needs. It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility to see them look to trade back, especially if a premiere prospect like Sanders is available. Pittsburgh isn't the only quarterback-needy team that could trade up, but swapping 21 and additional capital for 10 could be a possibility.
Khan is familiar with Bears General Manager Ryan Poles, and the two have done business together on multiple occasions. It began during the 2022 season when Pittsburgh traded Chase Claypool to Chicago in exchange for the Bears' second-round pick in the 2023 draft. That pick wound up being the 32nd overall pick after the Miami Dolphins had their first-round selection forfeited. Pittsburgh picked Joey Porter Jr., and it was considered a steal for Khan as Claypool did not pan out in Chicago.
The two also worked together during the 2024 offseason as Chicago sent Justin Fields to Pittsburgh. This familiarity isn't going to get Pittsburgh some friendly discount to trade up, but it might make the conversation start a bit sooner. Many believe Sanders has the chance to begin to slide on draft night, which makes an exchange like this somewhat possible.
Steelers Have Made A Similar Move In The Past
Pittsburgh has made a similar leap in the first-round of the NFL Draft somewhat recently. During the 2019 NFL Draft, the Steelers held the 20th overall pick, but the organization traded up with the Denver Broncos for the 10th overall pick. The Steelers were forced to give up their second-round pick in 2019 as well, while also forfeiting a third-round pick in 2020. The organization selected Devin Bush, and the move is looked back on negatively.
Similar compensation should be expected if a leap of that size is made again. It would be a jump of 11 spots, and the Steelers would probably have to give up at least a a future second and their third in the 2025 NFL Draft. This makes a move like this far-fetched, as the franchise has many spots on the roster to address.
