Could the Pittsburgh Steelers Trade Up in NFL Draft for Paris Johnson Jr.?

Johnson Jr. is one of three offensive linemen the Steelers will select within the first three rounds of this year's draft.

Ohio State Buckeyes offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. could be headed east to the great state of Pennsylvania, should a prediction from CBS Sports come true.

According to analyst Ryan Wilson, the Pittsburgh Steelers will begin an offensive line-heavy NFL Draft by taking Johnson within the first ten picks. The highest Steeler pick currently is the 17th overall selection, so a trade-up in the order would need to occur for this to happen. 

Pittsburgh is in pretty dire need of offensive line assistance after finishing the 2022-23 season with 38 sacks allowed (one of the highest in the league) and tied for the fourth-lowest passing production averages at 6.4 yards per attempt.

Johnson Jr. would certainly help the Steelers in this regard, as he had a streak of over 611 pass-block snaps without a sack during his time with the Buckeyes.

As for who the other two linemen mentioned in the above prediction will be, the jury is still out.

The Steelers have four picks total in the opening three rounds, including the aforementioned 17th overall selection. Pittsburgh will be the first team on the clock in the second round with No. 32 overall, followed by the 49th and 80th selections.

Two items make it hard to predict which players will be available during these times.

First, there is a high likelihood that one or more of these picks could be included in the projected trade for a top-10 spot. Second, the amount of space on the board between these selections, paired with the knowledge that every draft contains its fair share of surprises, leaves too many names as possibilities to be certain.

That being said, Oklahoma's Anton Harrison, Ohio State's Dawand Jones, and North Dakota State's Cody Mauch are solid choices and are projected to go around where the Steelers have their second and third-round picks.

The Steelers could benefit from any two of these three options. Johnson would most likely endorse a reunion with his Buckeye teammate if asked to choose, something Pittsburgh could take that into account if or when the time comes. 

The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft airs Thursday evening, beginning at 8 p.m. ET, on ESPN and the ESPN app.

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