Steelers At #20 Are Perfect For Cardinals As They Hope To Move Up From #27

Anything is possible for the Pittsburgh Steelers with Omar Khan at the helm, especially on draft day. In the 2023 NFL Draft, the team traded up in the first round to get a potential stud at offensive tackle (Broderick Jones), then they traded down in the third round to get some of the value back that they lost in the first trade. Khan has already shown that he is willing to do anything to improve the team, and Steeler Nation could see more of that in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. 

The Steelers have been eyeing up centers throughout the draft process, although many consider them to be a reach at 20. Jackson Powers-Johnson, Zach Frazier, and Graham Barton have all been speculated to be drafted late in the first round or early in the second round. Essentially, they are all mocked between the Steelers' first and second round picks. While the Steelers could trade up in the second round, they may have a better option. 

The Steelers could most likely trade down in the first round and get more draft capital in the process. There will be any combination of high-end offensive and defensive tackle prospect available at 20, as well as some of the many elite receiver and cornerback prospects in the draft. There are likely some suitors out there to trade up in the first round, but one team really stands out. 

Who Could Steelers Trade With?

The Arizona Cardinals already have the fourth overall pick that could turn into Marvin Harrison Jr., but they also have the 27th overall pick thanks to a previous trade with the Houston Texans. Jordan Reid broke down the situation on ESPN. 

"It shouldn’t come as a surprise if Arizona [Cardinals] gets aggressive and attempts to move up from No. 27 for a cornerback on Day 1. [Sean] Murphy-Bunting is more of a CB2. There’s a glaring need for a high-upside CB1, and Nate Wiggins (Clemson) and Kool-Aid McKinstry (Alabama) could be Day 1 options for a roster still in the talent collection portion of its rebuild.”

The Cardinals could use plenty of help at the cornerback position, but there is more than just that. The offensive line could use some more help, and Amarius Mims could slot in at right tackle, opposite of Paris Johnson. If the Cardinals trade out of the fourth overall pick, they may want to grab the best receiver available at pick 20. There are many scenarios that work perfectly to make this deal happen. 

That trade would also put the Steelers in perfect position to draft one of the top three center prospects, while also collecting some extra draft capital. They have questions all over the roster, and the added draft capital could answer more of those questions. On the other hand, they could get a 2025 pick and set themselves up nicely in the next draft.

The Cardinals would have to make up about 170 points in terms of draft value, according to the chart. A future second-round pick could work with that, or they can send pick 90 and one of their fifth-round picks to the Steelers. Either way, the potential trade is possible, and Khan has shown that he is more than willing to make trades on draft day. 

There are other teams that could try to trade up to pick 20, but the Cardinals make more sense in this situation. The Steelers don't want to trade too far back, and the teams right behind them are mostly fine at offensive line and wide receiver. The Philadelphia Eagles could theoretically trade up two spots to get a cornerback, but that is far less likely than making a deal with a truly needy team like the Cardinals.