Why did Steelers wait until after the draft to trade George Pickens?

As will be explained in an upcoming item (unless I forget to do it, which is entirely possible), the handwriting was written on the wall in permanent marker. The Steelers were trading receiver George Pickens.

So why didn't they do it before or during the 2025 draft? It was a deep overall class, with plenty of receivers. The Steelers drafted not a single one. With an extra pick, they could have.

Common sense suggests that they tried, but that they couldn't get what they wanted. Given the loose rule of thumb that a pick in the current year translates to a pick one round higher in the next, they might have only been able to get a fourth-round pick for Pickens before or during the 2025 draft.

Regardless, as the Steelers seem to be adopting a load-the-cannon-now posture, not getting anything for Pickens until 2026 is odd. It speaks to the very real possibility that the Cowboys were the only team that wanted to take a chance on a player who had become disgruntled in his current city — and who may not morph into becoming gruntled in his next.

Of course, they could benefit from the extra pick in 2026, if they end up trying to move up the board to get their long-term quarterback. For now, they're poised to get their short-term answer without having to give up a single draft pick or player.

And if/when they get Aaron Rodgers for nothing, it will be easy to conclude that they're still ahead of the game in a year that seems to be otherwise characterized by an all-out effort to win a playoff game for the first time since the 2016 season.