The Pittsburgh Steelers have shown in the past that they need to get better offensively, and doing so this offseason would be a very wise decision, no matter what quarterback they go with. One new predicting has them making an aggressive move up the draft board to secure their target to get better on that side of the football.
Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette proposed the idea of the Pittsburgh Steelers making a first-round trade with the Detroit Lions to land Arizona State standout Jordan Tyson at No. 17 overall. His trade would move on from No. 21 and more.
“Trade: Steelers trade picks Nos. 21 and 121 to the Detroit Lions for pick No. 17,” Fittipaldo wrote. “This is a deep draft for receivers, but if the Steelers want one of the premier players at the position, they might have to part with some of their draft capital to make it happen. Tyson is well worth the investment. He was a touchdown machine the past two seasons at Arizona State, where his receivers coach was Hines Ward. He had eight touchdowns last season and 10 in 2024. He’s dealt with some injuries throughout his career, but he’s also known for his toughness. Sounds a little like his position coach.”
From a production standpoint, Tyson’s resume supports the aggressive move Fittipaldo pitched to go up. While I like him a lot as a player, I’m also curious to see how he’ll look in an NFL offense, especially if the Steelers’ offense continues to struggle at the level it has in recent years.
The injury history is part of the evaluation, but toughness is another one. Tyson has been hurt at times but certainly doesn’t seem like a player who doesn’t want to be on the field. If he’s good to go, he’ll play, and that’s a trait the Steelers and every other team in the league love.
Trading from No. 21 to No. 17 would signal urgency to improve on that side of the football, and could be a way of showing that Mike McCarthy has some impact on the draft, considering he’s more of an offensive mind.