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Steelers insider proposes a draft-day scenario that includes finding George Pickens' replacement after trading him away

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Rob Gregson | Last updated Mar 25, 2025 5:53 PM ET

George Pickens may not be long for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Could that mean a trade during or before the draft? Before training camp? Or maybe he walks in free agency next year.

There is the chance he shapes up and the Steelers decide to pay him of course, but according to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, there's a world where Pickens is gone in about a month...

Trade Pickens and draft a WR?

"I don't think the Jaxson Dart or the Shedeur Sanders thing is gonna happen," Fittipaldo told 93.7 The Fan regarding the Steelers' first-round draft plans. "Pretty much down to receiver and D-Line, and I think the only way a receiver would be in play at 21 is if they're gonna turn around and trade George [Pickens] on draft day. So I think that's a possibility."

Let's play this scenario out. Say Pickens is traded for a second-round pick. Suddenly, the Steelers now make up the pick they lost in the Metcalf trade and can take some combination of DL-WR-QB in the first three rounds.

Matthew Golden would be the perfect replacement for Pickens, and the Steelers brass got up close and personal with him and his QB at the Texas Pro Day, but he could be gone before the Steelers are even on the board.

There is Emeka Egbuka of course, who now, with DK Metcalf on the team, would serve as perfect complement to his playstyle and is a high character and high floor player that would serve as the Steelers' modern-day Hines Ward.

A bevy of options at that position group remain in the second round if the Steelers decide to go DL, and of course, drafting a QB like Jalen Milroe in round two could be an option if they received said capital for Pickens.

So it's really a rabbit hole of possibilities. The Steelers don't want to subtract from their WR corps. But heading into a contract and with no extension talks in sight, the Steelers are at the very least pondering Pickens' future, and that makes this a plausible scenario come the NFL Draft.