The Pittsburgh Steelers are under the microscope with the No. 21 pick in Thursday's NFL Draft.
Pittsburgh's 2024 campaign was yet another bitter disappointment wearing the mask of 10 wins and a postseason berth. The Steelers keep stacking wins under Mike Tomlin, but this team hits a concrete ceiling each and every year. It has been far too long since the Steelers felt like anything more than a convenient first-round opponent for the AFC heavyweights.
It's impossible to peg down the exact direction Pittsburgh will take on Thursday night, but popular opinion has skewed toward an addition to the defensive line or a new quarterback, with Colorado's Shedeur Sanders on all the radars. If the talented 23-year-old falls to Pittsburgh, which feels like a given at this point, he is without a doubt the buzziest and most ambitious option.
That said, Pittsburgh could zag unexpectedly, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. The Steelers have also been doing their homework at wide receiver, with Ohio State pass-catcher Emeka Egbuka doing "really well" for Pittsburgh in the pre-draft process.
"Another way to help add to their six picks would be to trade George Pickens," Breer writes. "An intention to do so would be one way to explain the amount of work they’ve done on Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka, whom I’ve heard has done really well for the Steelers (though I still think interior defensive line or quarterback would be more likely at 21)."
Steelers' interest in Emeka Egbuka hints at George Pickens trade
While Breer believes the Steelers will ultimately go in a different direction, Egbuka has clearly gained momentum in the clubhouse. If Pittsburgh does find a trade partner for George Pickens, who's entering the final year of his rookie contract, then the odds of an Egbuka pick skyrocket.
The DK Metcalf trade, on the surface, was meant to equip Pittsburgh with a pair of explosive playmakers to stimulate Arthur Smith's offense. If the Steelers aren't sold on Pickens long term, however, it opens up a glaring hole in the WR room. For as good as Metcalf is, the rest of the Steelers' depth chart leaves much to be desired once Pickens is removed from the equation.
It's hard to imagine Pittsburgh getting first round value for Pickens straight up, but the 24-year-old put up 900 yards and three touchdowns last season in 14 games. He averaged 15.3 yards per catch, a year after leading the NFL in that category (18.1). Pickens' ability to create separation and explode after the catch is undeniable, and he'd probably be better served in most other offenses. Especially if he lands with an established winning quarterback (Dallas and Dak Prescott, anyone?).
Egbuka profiles as a solid replacement. He put up 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns for the reigning champs at Ohio State last season. The Ringer's Danny Kelly outlines the base-level appeal:
"Operating primarily out of the slot (73 percent of the time in his career), he’s an expert at finding the soft spots in coverage and opening up for his quarterback. Egbuka has been one of the most productive yards-after-the-catch creators in college football the past three years; he combines gliding open-field speed with the quickness to turn, square up a defender, and beat them off the dribble."
Egbuka is a very different mold of wide receiver than Pickens, but he fits the Arthur Smith brand perfectly. Setting him up for quick-hitters over the middle, whether it's Mason Rudolph, Aaron Rodgers or Mickey Mouse throwing the football, ought to lead to solid production. Egbuka shared the field with several talented wideouts at OSU. He'd experience a comparable lack of pressure with Metcalf lining up wide in Pittsburgh.
This outcome would shock a lot of folks, but if the Steelers do zag and take a wide receiver, it almost certainly spells the end of Pickens' tenure in PGH.