Five guys the Steelers can actually sign at the NFL trade deadline

The Pittsburgh Steelers are actively seeking to strengthen their roster ahead of the NFL trade deadline, targeting five potential wide receiver acquisitions.

As the NFL trade deadline approaches, the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to bolster their roster, particularly their wide receiver corps. Here are five realistic targets they could pursue.

The NFL trade deadline is just a few days away. For a postseason run, the Pittsburgh Steelers must either bolster their roster aggressively or risk losing their piece forever. It’s more likely that this team will acquire a good role-player who won’t steal the show, even though a blockbuster deal could make all the difference.

Since the 2024 offseason, Omar Khan and his team have been trying to improve the wide receiver position, but there aren’t many good choices available. In the meanwhile, Pittsburgh might use some insurance policies in case their starters are injured because their depth has occasionally been destroyed in the first half of the season.

These trades won’t vault the Steelers to being Super Bowl favorites, but they would add depth and security to the roster. Here are four realistic trade candidates Pittsburgh could nab before the deadline.

There aren’t many cornerbacks who can still play at a high level into their early 30s, but Jonathan Jones is still going strong. The long-time defensive back played the majority of his defensive snaps at boundary CB in the first half of the season, but he also has the ability to line up at slot cornerback and free safety.

Jones is rumored to be a player on the NFL trade block, and the Steelers could come knocking. In coverage, Jones has been far more consistent than Donte Jackson on a down-to-down basis. Jones would offer a veteran presence and depth in the secondary.

The Titans are an absolute train wreck this year and they could be looking to unload players who won’t be part of the future plan in Tennessee. Sebastian Joseph-Day has an expiring contract and will turn 30 years old during the 2025 offseason.

While defensive tackle is hardly Pittsburgh’s biggest need, Montravius Adams is on IR and they could use another depth piece at the position. At 6’4” and 310 pounds, Joseph-Day could be a solid depth piece for the Steelers and it probably wouldn’t take much more than a late-round pick-swap to land him via trade.

Once a First-Team All-Pro cornerback, Tre’Davious White hasn’t been a threatening player in years. Unfortunately, the injuries he has accumulated since 2020 have zapped most of his athletic traits, and White was demoted on the Rams.

However, we do know that White has permission to seek a trade. Pittsburgh can’t rely on the health of Cory Trice Jr. and they are one injury away from deploying James Pierre as a boundary cornerback. White may be a shade of his former self, but he has loads of experience and ball production over the years. This would be a low-upside trade to solidify the depth at CB.

If it looks like we are scraping the barrel by naming a backup receiver on a bad Patriots team, that’s because we are. Unfortunately, most of the top wide receiver trade options have already found new homes or are no longer available (like Cooper Kupp and Mike Williams).

K.J. Osborn has never been a difference-maker at receiver, but he’s a reliable depth piece with a well-rounded skill set. The Steelers could acquire Osborn with a late-round pick swap and he could supplant Scotty Miller. He’s not a great option, but it’s something.

Chase Young is only a good player by name recognition only at this point. There’s a reason he inked a one-year, $13 million contract during the 2024 offseason. Unfortunately for the Saints, Young has been a complete non-factor this year.

With the Saints being a long shot to compete and Young having an expiring contract in 2025, New Orleans could look to unload him before the deadline for a draft pick. With Pittsburgh’s pass rushers finally getting healthy, a trade for a starting edge rusher seems like overkill, but this team lives and dies by the health of T.J. Watt and the impact their edge defenders provide.

A familiar face from a few drafts ago appeared in the secondary when the Steelers faced the Giants. During the 2023 NFL Draft, the team had a significant need at cornerback, and there was conjecture that the team might select that position in the first round. Although they didn’t in the end, they did select Joey Porter Jr. with the first overall pick in the second round.

One of the more difficult draft classes to forecast was that of cornerbacks. Given their size, Porter and Christian Gonzalez were considered strange avatar types, but Emmanuel Forbes excelled academically. Due to his exceptional athleticism, Deonte Banks was a late riser who was selected by the Giants at pick 24 in the first round.