Steelers insider reveals Pittsburgh's plans for possible trade into second round

Mike Moraitis

Steelers insider reveals Pittsburgh's plans for possible trade into second round image

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers face quite the problem when it comes to Day 2 of the 2025 NFL draft, as the team doesn't have a second-round pick thanks to the DK Metcalf trade last month.

Making that even more of a problem is the fact that the Steelers still need a signal-caller after passing on Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders in favor of Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon with the No. 21 overall pick in Round 1.

Sanders remains on the board, but chances are he's going to be long gone before the Steelers are on the clock in the third round. The same can likely be said for Alabama's Jalen Milroe.

Knowing that, Steelers fans and analysts  have been wondering if Pittsburgh would get aggressive and try to trade back into the second round. However, it looks like that won't be in the cards for the Steelers, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

RELATED: How many draft picks do Steelers have on Day 2?

"Steelers have to wait for 50 players to be picked tonight before they get a chance at another selection," Dulac wrote. "They are not planning to get into the second round in case you’re wondering. Watch RBs, maybe even edge rusher."

It's understandable why the Steelers don't want to — or simply can't — trade into the second round on Friday night. It'll cost a king's ransom to make a giant leap from No. 83 overall to anywhere in the second round.

One possible way they could at least garner an extra Day 2 selection is if they trade wide receiver George Pickens. According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, Pickens trade remains a possibility, as the team is taking calls on him and is "open" to hearing interested parties out.

"The Steelers have been receiving calls about the availability of WR George Pickens, per sources. Pittsburgh is open to conversations as it navigates Friday night without a second-round pick (traded for DK Metcalf)," Russini reported.

Now, nobody expects the Steelers to get a second-round pick for Pickens straight up, but perhaps they can do a pick swap that lands them a second-rounder. If not, the Steelers should be able to nab a third-round pick, which is better than nothing.

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Mike Moraitis

Mike Moraitis is a freelance writer who covers the NFL for the Sporting News. Over his nearly two decades covering sports, Mike has also worked for Bleacher Report, USA TODAY and FanSided. He hates writing in the third person.