Why Could Pittsburgh Trade Down?

Now that Offensive Tackle Mike Adams’ positive marijuana test at The Combine has become public, and Mark Barron in my opinion is likely going in the neighborhood of Picks #14-#17 where Safety-needy Dallas, Philadelphia, New York (Jets), and Cincinnati pick, it seems that there is one player which should be in the neighborhood for Pittsburgh to take at #24: Dont’a Hightower.  And unless for some awesome reason Offensive Linemen Jonathan Martin or Cordy Glenn end up falling to Pittsburgh, Hightower on paper appears to be a safe and solid selection that Pittsburgh should go with in the 1st Round.

What if Hightower is not there or not the guy at #24? Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-US PRESSWIRE

Yet as much as I like Hightower the prospect, I do have one question: What if he is not the player Pittsburgh targets in Round 1 and is selected by somebody else?  Or, what if he is not the Inside Linebacker they want at all?  Pittsburgh did bring in Mychal Kendricks of California for a visit, and while Kendricks is a bit smaller, he is a more versatile player in terms of the time he spent at Outside Linebacker in college, and Kendricks played in a 3-4 system at California as well.  Granted, the Steelers might want to cover their bases by bringing in Kendricks in for a visit, but he is a prospect which could really help this team on the defensive side of the ball.

Also, what if Hightower is not around at #24 and the Steelers do in fact want him?  It is a viable question to ask, Baltimore could use a replacement for Ray Lewis down the road, and even the Giants or another team in early Round 2 with Inside Linebacker needs could consider going after Hightower and trading ahead of Pittsburgh.  Every Front Office with a need at Inside Linebacker which is coveting Hightower below Pittsburgh in Round 1 or early in Round 2 knows that it could be a risk to wait and see what the Steelers do, and might be willing to jump ahead of the Steelers to acquire him.  Even Brett Favre “fanboy” Peter King made reference to this happening in his most recent Mock Draft where he had Baltimore swapping picks with Detroit at #23 to acquire Hightower ahead of Pittsburgh.

If Pittsburgh has Hightower snatched from their grasp, or nobody like a Martin or a Glenn falls to them, the situation gets sort of murky when you look at the bottom of Round 1.  At that point the prospects which will likely be available do not fit the B.P.A + Position of Need mold for the Steelers as well as a Hightower or a Barron would.

Don’t get me wrong, there are/will be terrific players available.  Guys like Wide Receivers like Stephen Hill, who are talented but raw and probably two years from contributing significantly at the N.F.L. level.  Cornerback Janoris Jenkins will be around simply due to character concerns.  Plus, Brandon Weeden of Oklahoma State could also be in play for a Quarterback hungry team looking to get back into Round 1 as well.

But at #24 though, there are a glut of players at two very important positions which could make the spot where Pittsburgh selects a hot-spot for trade-activity: Defensive Tackles galore in 4-3 systems like Devon Still, Jerel Worthy, Kendall Reyes, and possibly Michael Brockers, and there are tweener pass-rushers like Shea McClellin, Nick Perry, Chandler Jones, Andre Branch, and possibly Courtney Upshaw.  And while Pittsburgh might not have a dire need for help at the specific positions, other franchises might, and thus see where Pittsburgh as sitting in Round 1 as a place where they want to be.

Which Trading Partners Make Sense

While the pool of players that the Steelers could choose from at #24 may not be to their ultimate liking, it could prove to be a very valuable lot to many other franchises.  I personally believe that there are three teams which could be inclined to trade with Pittsburgh in the forms of St. Louis, Miami, and Philadelphia.

One reason why these teams could be possible trading partners with Pittsburgh is the fact that they have multiple picks in either Round 2 or Round 3.  With extra selections, comes more chances to move around on the draft board, and having these extra chips to spend at the trading table, each of these teams has the “ammunition” to make an attractive offer to a team looking to vacate Round 1.

Granted, there are other teams which could contact Pittsburgh to move up to #24 and trade with them, because they do have holes at some of the aforementioned positions (i.e.: Buffalo, Carolina, and possibly even Seattle).  Yet because the teams I listed above have multiple picks in Rounds 2 or 3, they will likely be easier partners to trade with if they desire to move up, and can give the Steelers picks in the present as opposed to the future.

In addition to the extra picks which these teams have at their disposal, Philadelphia, Miami, and St. Louis all also have needs at either Inside Linebacker, 4-3 Defensive Tackle, tweener Pass-Rusher, or could even be in the market for Stephen Hill.  St. Louis could sure use some help on the interior of their Defensive Line and it would be wise for them to attempt to acquire the player they want before the run on them begins, Miami needs all positions save for Inside Linebacker, and Philadelphia is in the market for an Inside Backer and could make a play for Stephen Hill.

Need could be important for these teams, and moving up to a certain spot where a team is looking to move down could make all of the difference.  So now that I have established some potential trading partners which the Steelers could work with on Thursday evening and then Friday afternoon, what better way to end the article than by prognosticating trades and filling the new slots in the later Rounds in a few quick Mock Drafts.

Trade Up from #24: Could It Happen?

Kevin Colbert has been no stranger to trading up in Round 1 before, and his forays into the top of the draft board during his tenure have netted Pittsburgh a future Hall of Famer named Troy Polamalu (16th Pick 2003), and a Super Bowl MVP in the form of Santonio Holmes (25th Pick 2006).  While I don’t believe (as I will get to later) that Pittsburgh will move up, I still figure that I should add it to the discussion.

As of right now, there are four players Pittsburgh which could trade up to select if they eventually fell down to a reasonable area in Round 1: Offensive Tackle Jonathan Martin of Stanford, Offensive Guard/Offensive Tackle Cordy Glenn of Georgia, Cornerback Stephon Gilmore of South Carolina, and even Inside Linebacker Luke Kuechly of Boston College (if a miracle occurs.)

Where Should the Steelers Move to Acquire One?

To me, the best move to make for each of these prospects would be waiting and gauging what Dallas, Philadelphia, and the Jets do at picks 14-16.  .  Pittsburgh has to upgrade their Offensive Line, and if both talented guys are just out of Pittsburgh’s reach, it might be worth it to trade up to acquire one if they are deemed too good to pass up by Colbert and Co..  To get Kuechly, Pittsburgh would need to trade with Dallas and Dallas only, because Philadelphia has Linebacker needs and if he somehow falls past Carolina at #9, Kansas City at #11, Seattle at #12, and Arizona at #13, Pittsburgh would have to pounce and pounce quickly.

As for the other three prospects, Dallas, Philadelphia at #15, and New York at #16 would be good trading partners because they are in a spot right before Offensive Line and Cornerback hungry teams like Cincinnati (2x), San Diego, Chicago, Tennessee, Cleveland, and Detroit select.  By trading in front of all of these teams from #17 to #23, Pittsburgh could ensure they would get either Lineman or Gilmore and be at ease.  As nice as this sounds though, nothing in life is free, and moving up 8-10 spots costs a considerable amount which might outweigh the benefit in the long run as I will illustrate below.

Why Trading Up Could Be Too Expensive

Would it be worth it to trade up for Kuechly? Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-US PRESSWIRE

After consulting CBS Sportsline’s Draft Value Chart (it lists the value of each pick according to the Round and number), it would likely take Pittsburgh at least a 2nd, a 6th, and possibly a 7th Round pick this season, and possibly a future pick to move up to the #14 to #16 range.  Personally, the only prospect I believe is worth trading up for is Kuechly who is just a tackling machine, smart and experienced player, and is a 3-Down Linebacker that would be a perfect replacement for the departed James Farrior.

To me, while Glenn and Martin would be great additions to the Offensive Line, giving up a #2, a #6, a #7, plus possibly more in the future does not justify moving up to get them.  In a deep draft at Offensive Line (especially at Guard), Pittsburgh would be better served to wait at #24, because both players have an outside chance of falling to them if teams like Cincinnati, Chicago, Tennessee, Cleveland, and Detroit decide to trade back or look elsewhere besides Offensive Line.

With Stephon Gilmore it’s a similar situation as the one the Steelers face with Glenn and Martin.  While his addition to the Secondary would be nice, moving up to the #14-#16 range and giving up a bevy of picks would be a bit frivolous for a position which might have some emerging starters in Allen, Brown, and even Lewis.  Plus, Gilmore is rapidly moving up draft boards, and I doubt that Cincinnati, Tennessee, and Detroit would pass on him if he fell to them.  If by chance he falls to #24, then Pittsburgh has a decision on their hands, but if he doesn’t, then there are plenty of options for them to go with at their original spot in the 1st Round next week.

Final Thoughts on Moving Up

I’ll reiterate it again, but moving up for Martin, Glenn, or Gilmore might be a bit too expensive in terms of the picks given up to acquire one of them for Pittsburgh.  Added to that is the fact that there are numerous quality Offensive Linemen (especially Guards) that Pittsburgh can acquire in Rounds 2-5, and Pittsburgh can likely make due with their Corners for at least one more season.  Plus, if Brown and Allen step up their games on the Defensive side of the once maligned Cornerback spot could turn into a strength.  But if Kuechly somehow falls to Dallas, or even to Philadelphia or New York if they don’t consider him an option, Pittsburgh has to at least consider trading up to get him.