After signing Aaron Rodgers to a one-year deal earlier this month, the Steelers made another big move Monday. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Steelers are trading Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Dolphins in exchange for tight end Jonnu Smith, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and a 2027 seventh-round pick.
Smith is coming off the first Pro-Bowl season of his career in which he caught 88 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. Adding the tight end gives Rodgers another compelling weapon and Smith’s presence overall is a strong boost for this Steelers offense that struggled through the air last season.
While Smith is a great addition, Ramsey is the centerpiece of this trade. The seven-time Pro Bowler gave up a career-worst 70.8% catch rate last season with the Dolphins, but Ramsey still only allowed two touchdowns and 11.9 YPR when in coverage. Among the cornerbacks that played at least 50% of their team’s snaps last season, Ramsey was the 11th-highest graded player at his position on PFF.
While the Steelers were a strong defense overall last season, giving up the seventh-fewest PPG (20.8), Pittsburgh’s main weakness on defense was the club’s coverage, as the Steelers allowed the 13th-most yards per pass (6.7). Ramsey will help Pittsburgh in that department significantly and adding him to the Steelers’ secondary makes this Pittsburgh defense one of the best units heading into next season.
In the wake of this big trade for the Steelers, the team’s odds to win the AFC North on DraftKings Sportsbook have moved slightly from +550 to +500.
