“Yeah, it happens every year, you know,” said Khan about teams calling the Steelers and Pittsburgh inquiring about players on other rosters. “And it happens every year, not just now, you know, people call and say, hey, any interest in this player, in trading this player. Hey, we have this player. Could we consider you guys interested. I mean, it's, there's a lot.”
Khan also brought up that the normal 10-minute clock in round one will be reduced to eight minutes in 2026, which Khan said helped priorities the importance to talking with teams prior to draft night when every second on the clock counts.
Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith has been rumored to be considered a possible trade candidate due to Nick Herbig’s emergence at the outside linebacker spot, but Khan calls happen very rarely come to fruition.
“I'll say this,” said Khan. “I'd say maybe, probably less than 5% of those calls actually turn out to be something. But yeah, calls happen.”
Below is the list of first round picks held by the Steelers since 2000 that have been moved up, down or away for a player.
Steelers Drafted – Casey Hampton, NT, Texas
2000 | Traded Down | No. 16 to No. 19
Pro Bowls: 5
Super Bowl Appearances: 3 (XL, XLIII, XLV)
All-Pro Seasons: 2 (1st Team: 2008, 2nd Team: 2004)
Hall of Fame: No (borderline case for Steelers HOF fans)
Years w/ Steelers: 2001–2012 (12 seasons)
Overall: Anchor of the defense. Doesn’t show up in stat sheets, but absolutely foundational to two Super Bowl teams.
Steelers Drafted – Troy Polamalu, S, USC
2003 | Traded Up | No. 27 to No. 16
Pro Bowls: 8
Super Bowl Appearances: 3 (XL, XLIII, XLV)
All-Pro Seasons: 6 (4 First-Team)
Hall of Fame: YES (2020, 1st ballot)
Years w/ Steelers: 2003–2014 (12 seasons)
Overall: One of the greatest trade-ups in NFL history. Defensive identity piece. Changed how safety was played.
Steelers Drafted – Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio State
2006 | Traded Up | No. 32 to No. 25
Santonio Holmes (2006 – Traded Up)
Pro Bowls: 1
Super Bowl Appearances: 2 (XLIII, XLV)
All-Pro Seasons: 0
Hall of Fame: No
Years w/ Steelers: 2006–2009 (4 seasons)
Overall: Short run, but HUGE impact. That Super Bowl catch alone justifies the move. Not long-term value, but elite moment value.
Steelers Drafted – Devin Bush, LB, Michigan
2019 | Traded Up | No. 20 to No. 10
Pro Bowls: 0
Super Bowl Appearances: 0
All-Pro Seasons: 0
Hall of Fame: No
Years w/ Steelers: 2019–2022 (4 seasons)
Overall: This is the miss. Aggressive move that didn’t pay off long-term. Injury (ACL) changed trajectory but still falls short for what they gave up.
Steelers received Minkah Fitzpatrick, S via Miami Dolphins
2020 | Traded Away | No. 18
Pro Bowls: 5 (as of 2025)
Super Bowl Appearances: 0 (with Steelers)
All-Pro Seasons: 3 First-Team
Hall of Fame: Not yet (trajectory suggests strong case)
Years w/ Steelers: 2019–present
Overall: This is basically a “reverse draft pick” and a home run. Immediate All-Pro impact. One of the best moves of the era but one of the least competitive playoffs stretches for the team.
Steelers Drafted – Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
2023 | Traded Up | No. 17 to No. 14
Pro Bowls: 0 (so far)
Super Bowl Appearances: 0
All-Pro Seasons: 0
Hall of Fame: Too early
Years w/ Steelers: 2023 - present
Overall: Still being written. Jones has flashed here and there, and his current neck injury puts the long-term value in question. Has not lived up to the potential they traded up for yet.
