Getty The Aaron Rodgers trade to the New York Jets could impact the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2023 NFL draft.
It finally happened. The Green Bay Packers agreed to send quarterback Aaron Rodgers and two draft picks to the New York Jets for a plethora of draft selections.
As part of the agreement, the Jets and Packers swapped first-round picks in the 2023 NFL draft. The Packers now possess the No. 13 selection while the Jets moved back to No. 15.
While both of those picks are ahead of the first selection for the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 17, members of the media still believe the Steelers could benefit from the Rodgers trade.
Steelers in Better Position to Orchestrate a Trade Up?
Following the Rodgers trade announcement on April 24, three different Steelers writers or podcasters came to the same conclusion — it might now be easier for general manager Omar Khan to make a trade that moves the Steelers up the draft board in the first round.
“Jets were a team at 13 I thought would be the biggest obstacle the #Steelers had to get ahead of to get a top OT,” The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Christopher Carter wrote on Twitter. “Still are at 15. But trade partner might change from the Texans at 12 to the Patriots at 14, if anything were to happen.”
Fansided’s Tommy Jaffi posted nearly the same thing.
“This could make it slightly easier for the Steelers to jump ahead of the Jets for an OT if need be,” Jaggi wrote on Twitter.
It’s possible that a move up the board for the Steelers could involve the Packers.
“This is pure speculation, but the Packers would make an even more intriguing trade-up possibility for the Steelers at 13,” The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo wrote on Twitter. “Pittsburgh would jump ahead of CB/OT needy teams like the Commanders (16), Jets (15) and Pats (14).”
No trade up the board is imminent for the Steelers, but ESPN’s Todd McShay reported on April 24 that Khan has engaged in trade conversations.
Steelers Reportedly Contacted Bears, Titans About NFL Draft Trade
McShay revealed in his report that those NFL draft trade conversations were with the Chicago Bears and Tennessee Titans.
“I’ve heard Pittsburgh has contacted multiple teams, including the Bears (No. 9) and Titans (No. 11), about trading up for an offensive tackle,” McShay wrote. “The Steelers need a long-term answer as protection for Kenny Pickett, and there are three potential cornerstone left tackles in this class who will be available in that range.
“It wasn’t that long ago that Pittsburgh moved up in Round 1 and took linebacker Devin Bush, and we could see a similar move this year, albeit for a different position.”
Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr, Georgia’s Broderick Jones and Tennessee’s Darnell Wright are expected to be Pittsburgh’s top offensive tackle targets if the team elects to acquire a higher first-round pick. The ESPN draft board has all three of those tackles ranked among the top 15 players in the class.
Cornerback is another potential target for Khan. The Steelers could trade up and draft any of the potential top cornerbacks in the draft.
A rumor from sportswriter Peter King has also connected the Steelers to defensive lineman Jalen Carter in the top 10.
It will be interesting to see if the Steelers continue to have trade conversations over the next few days. With the blockbuster quarterback deal finalized, the Steelers could have more potential trade partners for a move up the board.