When the Pittsburgh Steelers made a trade with the Seattle Seahawks for Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf, many fans wondered if this decision was a smart one. General manager Omar Khan not only dealt a second-round pick to Seattle but also gave Metcalf a five-year extension worth $30 million annually.
However, once the aftermath of the 2025 NFL Draft became clear, it’s apparent that this was a smart choice.
Before the trade, Pittsburgh had the 52nd overall selection in the draft. This selection was exchanged with the Titans during the draft, who submitted their card for UCLA edge rusher Oluwafemi Oladejo—a prospect who was rated only slightly above Jack Sawyer on the consensus board (whom the Steelers selected at pick No. 123).
We can’t rely on a single dubious choice to explain why the Steelers’ decision was correct, so let’s examine the other players selected after pick No. 52 in the second round.
Starting from pick No. 53 and concluding the second round, the players chosen in the 2025 NFL Draft included CB Benjamin Morrison, OT Anthony Belton, WR Tre Harris, OT Ozzy Trapilo, OG Tate Ratledge, WR Jack Bech, EDGE Mike Green, RB RJ Harvey, CB Trey Amos, DT Shemar Turner, DT Omar Norman-Lott, and SAF Andrew Mukuba. Now, let me know which of these players you would prefer over DK Metcalf.
The DK Metcalf trade by the Pittsburgh Steelers appears exceptional following the 2025 NFL Draft.
When you analyze the possibilities available to the Pittsburgh Steelers at pick No. 52, it’s clear that there wasn’t a choice that would have been more advantageous for this team.
Although I would have found players such as Mike Green and Trey Amos interesting, Green dropped because of character issues, and Amos wouldn’t provide the same value as a cornerback starting his NFL career on the sidelines.
If you focus solely on the wide receiver possibilities—given that the Steelers might have had to take this path—the choices appear even more bleak. After Jayden Higgins and Luther Burden III were taken off the board in Round 2, the subsequent wide receivers chosen after pick No. 52 were Tre Harris and Jack Bech.
Harris possesses a restricted route tree and is a 23-year-old talent emerging from Lane Kiffin’s system at Ole Miss, whereas there are worries regarding Bech’s speed.
The initial third-round wide receiver choices featured Kyle Williams from Washington State, Isaac TeSlaa from Arkansas, and Pat Bryant from Illinois. You won’t convince yourselves that any of these receivers in a lackluster class would have been a superior choice compared to DK Metcalf.
Considering the second-round selection and the substantial deal, the Pittsburgh Steelers sacrificed much in the trade, yet they seem to be brilliant after observing how the draft unfolded this year.