At the NFL owner’s meeting on March 31, Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan discussed the idea of a draft day trade that would “re-acquire” the second-round pick that the organization sacrificed in the DK Metcalf deal (per Steelers Now reporter Alan Saunders).
Although this proposed move would more likely net Pittsburgh another third rounder, rather than a second, NFL Network draft expert Lance Zierlein must have been listening to Khan speak ahead of his latest April 1 mock prediction considering he has the Steelers trading down with the Los Angeles Rams on night one.
Zierlein didn’t list the exact parameters for the trade in his mock draft, but we can fill in the blanks utilizing the 2025 NFL Draft Value Chart.
To move up five slots from No. 26 overall to No. 21, the Rams would have to make up exactly 100 points according to the value chart. That would make a second-round selection far too rich of a trade return, plus Los Angeles doesn’t even own a second rounder this spring.
Instead, a third-round pick lines up in terms of value, and it just so happens that the Rams currently have two of them. Compensatory pick No. 101 matches up best in terms of value (96 points), but it’s possible the Steelers could twist LAR’s arm and get them to give up pick No. 90 instead (140 points).
Either way, this deal would be a win for Pittsburgh let’s say they’re targeting a deeper position like running back or defensive tackle in the first.
Zierlein Mocks Oregon DT Derrick Harmon to Steelers After Rams Trade
Zierlein did indeed target one of the Steelers’ more readily available draft needs, selecting Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon at No. 26 overall.
“Earlier in the pre-draft process, an NFC executive told me that Harmon ‘plays like a Raven or a Steeler,’” the veteran draft analyst recalled. Adding: “Well here we are, and the Steelers still need defensive line help after moving back in this mock.”
The 6-foot-5 Harmon is a “penetration/attack defender” at heart, and he would likely play defensive end for Pittsburgh with former second rounder Keeanu Benton sticking at nose tackle.
The 33rd Team’s lead draft analyst Kyle Crabbs described Harmon as a “disruptive presence on the defensive interior who offers an intriguing blend of skills that could play well in several defensive schemes.”
Crabbs credited Harmon with “initial explosiveness” and a high “motor and effort,” but he’s not a finished product.
“If Harmon can maximize his movement skills with efficient angles when closing in space, he will see his actual production expand and warrant playing in an aggressive front,” The 33rd Team expert concluded. “If not, a team can fall back on developing his hands and encouraging him to play along the line of scrimmage instead.”
Pittsburgh has also been connected to run stuffer nose tackle Kenneth Grant (Michigan) in round one.
Rams Predicted to Select Cornerback Jahdae Barron After Trading up With Steelers
As for the Rams, Zierlein had them taking cornerback Jahdae Barron with the No. 21 overall pick — just in case you were curious.
“[Rams general manager] Les Snead — no stranger to using draft capital aggressively — trades up to grab the best cornerback on the board before the [Los Angeles] Chargers or [Green Bay] Packers can go sniffing around,” Zierlein explained.
This would be a win-win outcome for Pittsburgh, as few have linked them to cornerback prospects in round one after the Steelers signed veteran CBs Darius Slay and Brandin Echols in free agency.
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