Could Steelers trade up in 2023 NFL Draft? Revisiting first-round deals Pittsburgh has made since 2000

While he wasn’t known as a gambler, Kevin Colbert made his share of risky moves during his 22 drafts as the Pittsburgh Steelers general manager. Most of the time, the risks Colbert made paid off handsomely while contributing to the Steelers’ two most recent Super Bowl wins. His successor, Omar Khan, is hoping to have similar success if he decides to trade up in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft. 

While first-round trades often come as a surprise, the Steelers trading up in the first round in this year’s draft is almost expected. In fact, CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson has heard from sources that the Steelers could trade up to try to select Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr., who is one of the top-ranked offensive tackles in the draft. 

As mentioned above, the Steelers had considerable success when they moved either up or back in the first round during the Colbert era. Let’s take a look at each of those transactions and how it impacted the Steelers in the following years. 

2001

• Traded No. 16 pick to Jets for 19th pick, 111th pick and 181st pick 

For the only time in the Colbert era, the Steelers traded back in the first round. With the pick, the Steelers acquired nose tackle Casey Hampton, who ended up being a major piece on what would be the NFL’s best defense for nearly a decade. With Hampton in tow, the Steelers’ defense permitted the NFL’s fewest points on four separate occasions. The 2008 squad allowed an average of just 13.9 points per game en route to winning the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl title. 

A five-time Pro Bowler, Hampton won two Super Bowls and three AFC titles during his 12-year career. An extremely durable player, Hampton made 164 regular-season starts and 15 playoff starts. He recorded a big sack late in Pittsburgh’s win over Seattle in Super Bowl XL. 

2003

• Traded No. 27 pick, 92nd pick and 200th pick to Chiefs for No. 16 overall pick 

The Steelers entered the draft in need of a safety after they tried to sign reigning Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson in free agency. After missing out on Jackson, Colbert and Co. were not about to miss out on drafting Troy Polamalu, a standout at USC who was the first Trojan since Tony Boselli in 1992 to be a two-time All-American. 

While his rookie season was difficult, Polamalu quickly blossomed into an All-Pro level player in Pittsburgh. He was named to his first of five straight Pro Bowls in 2004 while…