Buccaneers Almost Traded With Steelers in 1st Round
The Steelers nearly jumped to pick 15 for a star receiver, but Tampa Bay’s obsession with pass rusher Reuben Bain Jr. halted the high-stakes draft day swap.
Had Rueben Bain Jr. gone where he was expected to in last month's draft, he would be with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Buccaneers might not have stayed at pick No. 15.
Per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had pick No. 21, were considering a trade with Tampa for pick No. 15.
For the Steelers, trading up would have ensured the team a chance to draft star USC receiver Makai Lemon, which they almost did anyway. The Steelers were so close to taking Lemon that their general manager, Omar Khan, called him with the news. But at the last second, the Philadelphia Eagles traded with the Dallas Cowboys for pick No.
20, and took Lemon right before the Steelers' turn. Pittsburgh ended up pivoting to Arizona State offensive tackle Max Ihenachor, and all of this madness would have been avoided had the Steelers traded up with the Bucs. For Tampa, trading back was a scenario many saw as realistic heading into the draft.