With the NFL Draft less than 48 hours away, the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to look at any potential options to move up and down the draft board to get high impact players. Of course, with the Steelers doing their best to hide what they are thinking, there is no shortage of reports and rumors about what the team will do with the 20th overall pick.
The most recent "report" comes from NFL Draft insider Tony Pauline, who believes that the Steelers will be trading up with the Denver Broncos to the #12 overall pick to select Toledo Rockets cornerback, Quinyon Mitchell.
"I'm told the Steelers and Broncos are talking trade as Pittsburgh is another team that is targeting Mitchell and would move up to draft him."
"Gawd, I hope not, and no (there is no truth)."
Head Coach Mike Tomlin discussed earlier this week that he likes to throw smoke screens to throw the media and other teams off, but this would be one of the best kept secrets by the Steelers if there was any truth to this trade rumor.
Does The Trade Make Sense For The Steelers?
There are a few reasons why this trade does not make sense for the Steelers. Firstly, the price of moving up, knowing that there are other holes that need to be filled during the draft. When the Steelers traded up with the Broncos in 2019 to select Devin Bush, not only did it cost the Steelers their first and second round picks that year, but their third round pick during the following draft. This is too high a price to move up eight selections if replicated, especially when you hold a premium mid round selection in the first three rounds of this year's draft. The Steelers can utilize these selections to address cornerback, or can trade around to acquire a certain receiver from the San Francisco 9ers.
The second reason this doesn't make sense is the position Mitchell plays. Defensive back is an important position which the Steelers have attempted to address in the first round a few different times over the past few seasons. However, the offensive line is the more pressing need according to Dulac. There are plenty of options for the Steelers at cornerback later in the draft, or they can fill the need with free agents that are still available.
As Dulac discussed later in the chat in referring to the offensive tackles, the biggest need is still at center, which has yet to be addressed this offseason.
"Left tackle is the most valued commodity in the draft, but that doesn't mean you draft a tackle when you don't need one this year. You NEED a starting center."
If anything, the Steelers may trade down, but trading up, let alone for a cornerback seems like a pipe dream. There may be interest in Mitchell, but unless he falls to the 20th overall selection, he will play for another team in 2024. However, the Steelers could look to trade up earlier in the second round utilizing the third round pick they received from the Philadelphia Eagles to put themselves in striking distance for a center -- allowing them to hang around either for an offensive tackle, like Amarius Mims at 20, or a cornerback who should still be on the board in Cooper DeJean.
Should the Steelers trade up for Mitchell?
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