Despite what general manager Omar Khan says, the Pittsburgh Steelers need a wide receiver in the wake of the George Pickens trade, and the New Orleans Saints have just what the doctor ordered.
With quarterback Derek Carr retired, the Saints may look to finally blow this thing up and rebuild — and if so, wide receiver Chris Olave could become available.
Olave would be perfect for the Steelers, as On SI’s Noah Strackbein suggested. His trade proposal has the Steelers sending the Saints a second-round pick for the $19 million wide receiver.
Steelers get: WR Chris Olave
Saints get: 2026 second-round pick
“The Steelers shouldn’t go over, but they shouldn’t pull back too hard. Having a solid wide receiver does wonders for a young quarterback, which is what they want next season,” Strackbein wrote. “This year, Olave keeps their offense competitive as they try to remain a contender with (most likely) Aaron Rodgers. If not, Mason Rudolph. Moving forward, Olave is just 24 years old and has two 1,000-yard seasons in three years in the NFL. He’s a young option for a young quarterback.”
For a two-time 1,000-yard wide receiver who is only 24 and is under contract through 2026, a second-round pick is a fair return when you consider what the Steelers got for Pickens, which was a third-round pick.
However, there are a few caveats with that comparison.
For starters, reports suggest that the Dallas Cowboys might have overpaid for Pickens because he wasn’t drawing much interest elsewhere. Furthermore, Olave has a scary history with concussions that could jeopardize his future in the NFL.
That said, if the Saints aren’t gung-ho on trading him, it might take an overpay to acquire the former first-round pick.
For the Steelers, acquiring Olave makes perfect sense. Trading away Pickens has left Pittsburgh with a lackluster receivers room that consists of DK Metcalf and several question marks.
Calvin Austin is a No. 3 receiver, at best, 2024 third-round pick Roman Wilson is unproven after an injury-plagued rookie campaign, and free-agent addition and veteran Robert Woods is on the down side of his career.
Acquiring Olave and lining him up across from Metcalf would give the Steelers one of the best combinations at wide receiver in the NFL and would put whoever starts at quarterback — whether that be Aaron Rodgers or Mason Rudolph — in a much better position to succeed.
Olave might be a risky addition, especially given what it might cost to trade for him, but his talent makes it worthwhile.
