ESPN’s Bill Barnwell engages in an intriguing NFL draft experiment where the complete mock draft is comprised solely of trades. It’s a crazy idea that doesn’t include any real beginners.
Simply a trading situation for every one of the 32 NFL franchises. We commend the effort Barnwell dedicates to this project, so hats off to him.
Regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers, they took a high risk/high reward approach with their decision. Barnwell has the Steelers trading the No. 21 overall selection and a conditional pick in 2027 to the Indianapolis Colts for the No. 45 overall selection and quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Here’s a glimpse of Barnwell’s thoughts regarding the move:
I believe Richardson fits well in the Steelers’ offensive scheme. His arm power would create a daunting pairing with DK Metcalf and George Pickens.
Coordinator Arthur Smith has included quarterback run concepts at every position he’s held, though he may need to utilize these concepts more intensively with Richardson as the starter.
He may not begin as a starter right away if the Steelers acquire Aaron Rodgers, but he could benefit from a valuable redshirt year and then take the starting role in 2026.
Barnwell questions whether anyone would be surprised if head coach Mike Tomlin managed to get better performance from Richardson than what he has displayed with the Colts.
The truthful response is, indeed, we genuinely would. Following Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement, the Steelers’ quarterback depth chart has turned into a tumultuous mess with constant changes reminiscent of the Cleveland Browns.
This is partly why acquiring Aaron Rodgers may be more logical since Rodgers will play how he chooses, and Tomlin can’t significantly affect his performance.