© Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Steelers Open Up About Potential Draft Trade
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a rule of thumb for a draft day trade.
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are leaving the door open for a draft day after plenty of speculation of them either moving up or back in the first round. But they aren't making a commitment to a move, and they have a philosophy on when they'll decide to make a trade.
"I would just say, in my opinion, you never trade away from a good player," general manager Omar Khan said. "Obviously if there is ever a scenario that makes sense for both sides, you have to look at it."
There have been several other general managers who mentioned the 20th pick as a sweet spot to make a move. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals have all been tossed out as possibilities to want to swap with Pittsburgh.
Head coach Mike Tomlin said when the team was selecting Kenny Pickett at pick 20, teams were calling - and they expect the same this year.
"It’s probably a historical sweet spot," Tomlin said. "That’s probably the area where people are having those discussions because there are good football teams that are usually picking, playoff caliber football teams. Sometimes trading back provides value for those teams that don’t have glaring needs. I think that’s probably a spot that’s kind of annual in terms of those discussions."
The Steelers will try to put the groundwork in prior to the NFL Draft if they're going to make a move, but if something is going to happen, it likely won't be locked in until draft night - and just before their pick.
