USC QB Caleb Williams Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Pundit suggests outrageous Steelers trade for USC QB Caleb Williams

While plenty of NFL teams will have their eye on USC quarterback Caleb Williams leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, well-known pot-stirrer Colin Cowherd believes the Pittsburgh Steelers should go the insane extra mile to guarantee they're the ones calling his name.

On Friday's episode of "The Herd" on FS1, Cowherd suggested an outrageous trade package, sending three first-round picks, young emerging wideout George Pickens and three-time All-Pro linebacker T.J. Watt in exchange for the top pick and the right to select Williams.

There are a couple of issues with Cowherd's outlandish trade pitch. Since 2001, the No. 1 pick has changed hands via trade only three times and none of those packages came close to including the kind of established talent Cowherd wants to throw in. Furthermore, the three deals featured two first-round picks at most. 

Cowherd has a tough job, filling time five days a week with engaging sports talk. Essentially asking the Steelers to blow up their future for Williams is trying too hard, though.

If there's one positive thing to say about Cowherd, at least he discussed trading draft picks in a sport where that practice is legal. In July, while examining the possible asking price for Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, Cowherd suggested the team demand "five first-round picks," despite the fact that MLB teams cannot trade draft choices.

Williams will likely be the No. 1 pick in next April's draft and he's earning rave reviews from NFL circles. An NFL scout from an NFC team recently told ESPN's Jordan Reid that Williams will have a "franchise-altering" impact on whichever team drafts him. However, as tempting a talent as Williams might be, the haul Cowherd thinks the Steelers should be willing to part with is absurdly high.

The Steelers also invested a first-round pick in Kenny Pickett in 2022 and they'll probably opt to ride that out instead of giving up two huge pieces and a boatload of draft picks to start from scratch.

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