Steelers And Bills Could Be The Big Draft Day Trade After Von Miller's Comments

“With the 20th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select…” These are words that Steelers fans have been waiting for since the loss to the Buffalo Bills in the 2023 NFL Playoffs. There has always been plenty of excitement surrounding the draft for Steeler Nation, but with the recent aggressiveness by Steelers ownership, this year's selections will have more expectation than most in recent memory.

With multiple roster positions needing to be filled, such as center, wide receiver, and cornerback, there is speculation that the Steelers could trade the 20th pick to fill these holes. A move could even be made with the team that ended the Steelers' season. From his X account, former first round pick and now Bills star, Von Miller, shared a video with a caption hinting at a potential move by Bills General Manager Brandon Beane.

"Brandon Beane arriving to the 2024 NFL Draft to trade up for a WR. In Beane we trust Bills Mafia."

The Bills not only moved on from wide receiver Stefon Diggs this offseason in a trade with the Houston Texans, but lost Gabe Davis to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency. Beane and Miller both know that a wide receiver is a top priority in the draft, and it’s going to be tough to select one of the high end options without trading up. Though it would only result in an eight spot difference, making a trade up to the Steelers at 20 would make the odds better of a top talent being there. 

What Would Be The Benefit For the Steelers? 

The Steelers currently hold four picks inside the Top 100, being 20, 51, and 84 of their own, and pick 98 from the trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for Kenny Pickett. The Bills on the other hand have 10 total picks in this year's draft, but only two inside the top 100 at 28 and 60. 

It’s unlikely that pick 60 would be moved if the Steelers would acquire 28, but adding capital later in the draft can provide General Omar Khan with the ammunition needed to pull off a trade for a receiver whether that be Tee Higgins from the Cincinnati Bengals or Brandon Aiyuk from the San Francisco 49ers, who have been rumored to the Steelers the last few weeks. Apart from a second trade, moving back to 28 keeps the Steelers in prime position to take the best player available. Obtaining one of these players, while also potentially getting another standout player, would be an easy win for Pittsburgh.

How Does The Trade Benefit the Bills? 

The Bills are quickly seeing what was once a Super Bowl window, quickly close before their eyes. Several core members of the team were released or traded this offseason due to the salary cap, and while the Bills roster has been weakened, other members of the AFC East, and the AFC in general, have continued to load up. The Bills will always have a chance with Josh Allen under center, but you want to lessen the impact of losing your top two receivers from a year ago as best you can. 

Trading up to 20 would give the Bills the best possibility to select a difference maker. Buffalo would be gunning for another superstar receiver or could even look to go best player available to fill another one of their many holes. Regardless, getting ahead of other teams with similar needs as the Bills would make a ton of sense.

What Would It Take To Get Done? 

It’s likely a trade is done by the Steelers in the first round of this draft. The bigger question is if it’s best to select a receiver like Rome Odunze, or trading back to acquire more capital. The beginning of this draft will be dominated by quarterbacks and the top three receivers in this class. The middle picks in the teens will be dominated by the offensive line and a few corners, leaving the 20s with players that fell simply due to their position, like offensive line, corner, edge and defensive line. 

Here's a possible trade scenario between the two teams:

- Pittsburgh Steelers Receive: 2024 Round 1 Pick 28, 2024 Round 4 Pick 128 

- Buffalo Bills Receive: 2024 Round 1 Pick 20 

This feels like a win-win, where both teams benefit, but as we all know, it’s all speculation until we hear it announced by Commissioner Roger Goodell on Draft Day.