5 Creative Moves the Pittsburgh Steelers Can Pull on Draft Day

The Pittsburgh Steelers aren't a team that makes many high-profile draft moves. They may trade up or down in a middle round to snag a sleeper gem, but they don't typically attempt to make a splash with complicated trades in Rounds 1 or 2.

That's not to say that the Steelers will never get creative when it comes to their use of their draft picks. In fact, this year may be a good time to do so, considering the Steelers' numerous personnel needs that may not be able to be met if they stand pat with each of their current picks. 

Here are five creative draft-day moves that could be worth the risk for the Steelers this year.

Steelers Trade Up in Round 1

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

The Vikings want a Round 1 running back, just not at 11th-overall. The Steelers want CB Trae Waynes but cannot get him at No. 22. Thus, a trade is born.

The Steelers trading up from No. 22 in Round 1 isn't all that radical, especially considering positional needs like cornerback and outside linebacker would be better met earlier in the round. But it's not just that the Steelers are trading up in this scenario—they're trading up all the way to No. 11.

This trade scenario hinges on one thing: the status of running back Adrian Peterson being resolved by the time the draft begins next week. Should the Vikings lose him to another team, they will certainly be in the running back market.

While it's a deep draft class at the position, they might want to take one of the more elite prospects like Todd Gurley or Melvin Gordon in order to have a greater guarantee of finding the perfect Peterson replacement.

But Gurley or Gordon may be too rich for their blood at No. 11. At 22, however, they may be more inclined to use a Round 1 pick on a running back. Thus, the Steelers move up to 11 and grab Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes, a player they would not be able to get if they stood pat at 22.

For the honor of moving up, the Steelers would also have to give their fourth-round pick to the Vikings in this scenario. 

Steelers Select Shaq Thompson to Play as a Safety

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Shaq Thompson, linebacker? In Pittsburgh, he's a safety—and a rookie-year starter.

Draft prospect Shaq Thompson played outside linebacker in college at Washington, but NFL teams are divided as to whether he'd be a linebacker on the professional level, suggesting safety or even running back (something even his collegiate coach thinks would suit him best). But, for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Thompson is a safety, full stop.

Thompson played safety in college, so he's not entirely unfamiliar with the position. And his style of play and body type are also well-suited to the position. He also has "natural athleticism" and is a "very reliable open-field tackler," possessing "excellent change-of-direction agility and closing speed," per CBS Sports' Rob Rang.

In three seasons at Washington, Thompson totaled 233 combined tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, five interceptions, two touchdowns and 14 passes defended. These are the stats of a safety. He can work in coverage, he can blitz quarterbacks and he can stop running backs.

Thompson's skill set is exactly what the Steelers need when it comes to replacing the retired Troy Polamalu. While some teams might see Thompson as a mid-round developmental linebacker or a goal-line running back, for Pittsburgh, he could be a rookie-year starter at safety—and a worthwhile recipient of their Round 2 pick.

Steelers Get out of the Round 5 Business Entirely

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This is Chukky Okobi. He's the last Steelers' fifth-round draft pick to make a positive impact on the roster. He was drafted in 2001.

Round 5 of the NFL draft hasn't been kind to the Steelers for a while now. In fact, you have to go back to 2001 and their selection of offensive guard Chukky Okobi to find a player who the team selected in Round 5 that lasted on the Steelers' roster for more than one year.

Or, if you prefer, 2008, when they took backup quarterback Dennis Dixon, who spent four years with the Steelers and appeared in a total of four regular-season games.

So, the Steelers should just get out of their pick in Round 5 by any means possible, given that the odds are such that whoever they select with the pick isn't likely to add much to their roster. 

They have a few options available to get out of the round. One is to trade it away for one addition sixth-rounder and one in the seventh. They could also package it with their existing sixth-round pick to get an additional selection in Round 4, given that the Steelers also have a compensatory pick late in Round 6.

Either way, the Steelers should just step away from making any Round 5 picks this year. It may be the only way to break the curse.

Steelers Trade OLB Jarvis Jones to Move Up for Another OLB

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Jarvis Jones is not a bad player, but his slow development may force the Steelers to get creative.

The Steelers' 2013 Round 1 draft pick, outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, is not a bust. He has, however, been slow to develop into the pass-rusher they envisioned he would quickly become when they took him two years ago.

This year should be a make-or-break season for him. Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert believes he will have to outshine the soon-to-be 37-year-old James Harrison for the team's starting right outside linebacker job.

Instead of hoping that a 25-year-old has what it takes to beat out a 37-year-old veteran, the Steelers could try to find a willing trade partner for Jones, a team that has the luxury of being more patient with him or that has designs on using him differently. The St. Louis Rams, who pick 10th in Round 1, could be one such option.

Should the Steelers be able to move Jones (and perhaps that cursed fifth-round pick) to the Rams and jump up to No. 10, they would be in great position to take one of this year's more can't-miss pass-rushers, such as Florida's Dante Fowler Jr. or Clemson's Vic Beasley.

Missouri's Shane Ray could be in the conversation as well, but his draft stock may take a mighty hit given the reports that he may need surgery for a nagging toe injury, something that could sideline him for up to five months.

The Steelers need an outside linebacker who can make a huge impact this year, with Harrison likely on his final season and only Arthur Moats currently projected to play a starter's amount of snaps. If the Steelers have lost patience with Jones, they may be able to find a willing trade partner who has the ability to give him more time.

Steelers Draft Eric Rowe, Sort His Position out Later

Rick Bowmer/Associated Press

Is Eric Rowe a cornerback or a safety? For the Steelers, it doesn't matter.

Is Utah's Eric Rowe a safety or a cornerback on the NFL level? That's the question interested teams will have to answer before selecting him. But not the Steelers. 

The Steelers, who have needs at both cornerback and safety, can safely select Rowe in Rounds 1 or 2 without truly knowing what position he will play for them going forward. Rowe, who totaled 261 combined tackles, seven tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, three interceptions and 36 passes defended in college, played safety for three seasons and cornerback for one.

Rowe is "[a]ggressive in run support," according to CBS Sports' Rob Rang, something he'll certainly need to be as a safety on the next level. But he also possesses the "awareness and physicality" to work in coverage and "[u]ses his length and physicality to harass receivers at the line of scrimmage and throughout the route."

Pittsburgh can pick up Rowe and sort out his position later, once minicamps and training camps begin and they can examine how he handles the responsibilities of both positions. If Rowe can do both, that gives the Steelers a player who can provide valuable depth at safety and corner, making him a tremendous value.