Steelers' Worst-Case 2024 NFL Draft Scenarios
The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the 2024 NFL draft as one of many teams in need of offensive line help.
Most mock drafts have the Steelers lined up to take an offensive lineman at No. 20, but the franchise has to prepare for the worst-case scenario in their spot.
A run on offensive linemen could happen from No. 5 on and that could leave the Steelers without their preferred options on the board.
Pittsburgh does not have many ideal trade partners ahead of it, so it may be stuck at No. 20.
There is also a scenario in which the Steelers trade back if their favored prospects are not available when they hit the clock.
All Preferred Offensive Linemen Are Gone by No. 20
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Duke's Graham Barton appears to be the primary target for the Steelers at No. 20.
Bleacher Report's NFL scouting department and The Athletic's Dane Brugler each have the interior offensive lineman off the board to the Steelers.
Taking Barton at No. 20 is the dream scenario, but what if someone else picks the Duke prospect before the Steelers are on the clock?
The Steelers could take Oregon's Jackson Powers-Johnson at No. 20 to cover their need on the interior.
B/R's NFL scouting department landed Powers-Johnson at No. 21, while Brugler predicted he would go at No. 25.
Pittsburgh's staff could value Barton much higher than Powers-Johnson, and if that is the case, the Steelers will be forced to adjust their plans.
No Trade Partners Above No. 20
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If the run on offensive linemen happens and both Barton and Powers-Johnson are in danger of not making it to No. 20, the Steelers do not have the ideal set of potential trade partners in front of them.
The Cincinnati Bengals sit at No. 18. There is little chance the Steelers' AFC North rival would want to make a deal to benefit Pittsburgh's roster.
The Indianapolis Colts at No. 15 and Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 17 have little motivation to let the Steelers get what they want as well.
That leaves the Steelers with two potential trade partners from the NFC West: Seattle at No. 16 and the Los Angeles Rams at No. 19.
A move up one spot does not seem likely unless the Steelers have intelligence that a team could trade to No. 19 to land one of their interior prospects.
Seattle's asking price might be too high because it does not have a second-round pick. It could demand a first-round pick swap and try to take the Steelers' second-rounder.
In this scenario, the Steelers might have to wait until Day 2 to land an interior prospect and go with the best player available at No. 20.
Trade Down from No. 20
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The Steelers could reside in a position at No. 20 where Barton and Powers-Johnson are off the board and there is not enough conviction to land any of the best prospects available.
Pittsburgh could look to trade down from No. 20 in an admittance of defeat that other teams landed its preferred options.
A trade down is not the worst thing because it would allow the Steelers to collect some more draft picks, but it also means they would not land their favored prospects.
If the Minnesota Vikings do not move off No. 23 earlier in the draft, they could look to move up three spots to potentially land a quarterback. Minnesota lacks the trade ammo other teams have because it does not own a Day 2 selection.
The always-aggressive Philadelphia Eagles could move up two spots, while the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers may also look to trade up if No. 20 is available.
Philadelphia owns an extra second-round pick, while Green Bay and Tampa Bay each have two third-round selections. The Steelers could land one of those selections plus one or two more in a potential trade back
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