Should the Steelers trade for Dexter Lawrence?

Well, yeah... but the board wants a whole team of 25 year old All-Pro's on team friendly contracts that are well under market value lol

The reality is, if you want to win you have to have a good balance of young talent and quality vets. Lawrence would be a good get (and maybe a chance to offload TJ Watt?). A guy that is going to turn 29 that has been a high quality player for a long time isn't a terrible option. Yeah, he wasn't great last year statistically... but you'd be buying low on him. Extend him for a year and you'd have him through his 31 year old season and could spread the cap hit out nicely. It wouldn't be the worst thing we could do.

 

They are just polar opposite as players. Lawrence is a solid run defender and a high end interior pass rusher. Even with the down year he averages 5 sacks per 17 game season. McDonald projects as a guy that you hope is an elite run defender, but he's going to be lucky to have 5 total sacks on his rookie deal, let alone a single season.

I guess the question is do you think he's now a 0.5 sack a season guy every season? Was it a down year or a new normal? If its new normal, they yes... McDonald has a good chance to develop into the player Lawrence was in 2025. However, if Lawrence returns to what he was before then its a great get because McDonald has zero chance to be the guy Lawrence was in 2024. I wouldn't hate it if we made the move, depending on the package. I think he would do well in our front 7 and it would definitely be a good upgrade for the next 3-4 years. I also don't expect us to make the move.

 

Even by NFL IDL Standards, Kayden's Run Defense is borderline elite. That alone is already Top 50 value at worst to Late 1st at best. For two, Kayden's issue's with his pass rushing have little to do with his inability to do so based on limited traits but based on limited knowledge of a proper pass rush plan. As per usual, that is what coaches are for. Kayden does have the ability to be a solid pass rusher. Expecting him to be a 10+ Sack player is simply unrealistic for that takes away his greatest strength. However, even that isn't why Kayden should be viewed as a potential option in Round 1.


Kayden McDonald should be viewed as a potential Round 1 option for there isn't a single player on the Steeler's Defense that has both the talent and potential that Kayden brings to the table at this current time. The general consensus is Yahya Black but height will always be his biggest shortcoming as far as setting proper leverage against the run as a 1 to 0 tech. Such issues don't exist with Kayden; area's where he shines if anything. Cameron Heyward technically can but midnight is fast approaching for him. Keeanu Benton is... what he is at this point; solid IDL but not solid enough to be relied upon. The only real option on the team is Derrick Harmon. After Harmon, a bunch of unknowns.



Patrick Graham places an emphasis on stopping the run. There isn't a better run defender in the 2026 NFL Draft as far as IDL's go than Kayden. Players like Lee Hunter, Dominique Orange or even Darrell Jackson are all close but no cigar.

 

Oh, I like McDonald as a player. He hasn't played in the NFL yet, so I would say "NFL IDL standard borderline elite run defense" thing is a projection at best (he still has to prove it). I think he could develop into that though, for sure. I was just highlighting the differences in players as you were saying that you think McDonald is a better NFL player NOW than Lawrence is. I think that is false, and a hard projection anyway due to player type. Lawrence is a pass rusher that is a good run defender. McDonald is someone you hope is an elite run defender that develops into a guy that doesn't have to come off the field every third down. That's all I was saying.

For the record, I would be happy with a McDonald pick this year in the first (depending on who else is available of course)

 

Not a projection based on my statement. The tape for McDonald states otherwise; him constantly maintaining his gap at the LOS, being both disruptive and penetrative during running plays consistently and possessing both the lateral agility and lateral explosiveness to turn even some of the most wide zone stretch runs for minimal gain. Outside of the likes of Dexter himself, Jeffrey Simmons, Quinnen Williams, Derrick Brown, Bryon Young II and Jalen Carter, very few IDL in the NFL have both the combination of the aforementioned while being very consistent in doing so.


As for my major point about why Kayden is a better player for the Steelers to have now that Dexter simply comes down to one major aspect; age. IDL is a very brutal position by nature and the amount of punishment one takes is very rough. For Dexter, he has been dinged up a bit and given how he will be 29 this coming season, such a move for Dexter would be better spent on a team that has all the pieces to contend now; not a team that has still too many questions like Pittsburgh. In comparison, Kayden does have his limitations but him being so young not only allows him to grow into something more but also be able to play for longer; allowing Pittsburgh to focus on other needs while Kayden can lock down that spot in conjunction with Derrick Harmon.

 

Of course its a projection. He's never played a down in the NFL. It seems highly likely his tape translates to the league, but there have been plenty of guys who have excellent college tape that didn't turn out in the NFL. He has a high upside with his body type and ability as a run defender in the league, but he still has to prove it.

I simply don't care that much about age. Everybody is obsessed with having just a bunch of young guys on the team. That isn't a recipe to win games. We are going to have an incredibly young OL (all on rookie deals), 2/3 of our DL on rookie deals, the potential to have both ILB's on rookie deals, one of our three top rushers on a rookie deal, our best corner on a rookie deal, and the potential to draft a safety that will be on a rookie deal. The team needs vets too, and its not like we are drafting someone past the expiration date. IDL can last into their early 30's quite nicely these days, and if we had him for 3 seasons, he would be walking off his contract at age 31. I am not necessarily advocating we trade for him (I wouldn't be against it, given the cost...), but to act like we cant take a player that starts the season at 28 years old because he's too old lol You have to keep in mind that we aren't able to sign everyone, and young players don't always pan out. When you have too much young talent, you have to let some walk because you can't afford them. If you rely too heavily on young players, you run the risk of a bad draft or two running your team into the bottom third of the league. The best teams have a balance of youth and vets. I get that its nice to have a younger player, but that doesn't always mean its going to be better.

 

Except it isn't. As I have stated already, very few NFL IDLs have the complete package in terms of run stopping; handling double teams, displacing opposing IOLs or even Offensive Lineman as a whole, being able to both routinely and consistently penetrate and disrupt rushing lanes, maintain the POA and possess both the required explosiveness and agility to do so; all qualities being needed in terms of being what one can constitute as an elite Run Defending NFL IDL. Kayden has that and will provide immediate value as an IDL Run Defender due to his repeated showing of such tools and traits based on his 2025 Ohio State film.


As for age, that may be true for you but that isn't how the NFL works. Age plays a massive factor in terms of team building sans some extreme exceptions. For every Troy Fautanu, teams want a Joe Alt. For that matter, for every Akheem Mesidor, someone like R Mason Thomas or even T.J. Parker will be rated higher on more boards than not due to age. Recall how I said IDL is a brutal position?! That position is heavily age dependent due to the violent nature of the position. Even for someone of Dexter's abilities, there is a major reason why he hasn't been traded yet. Dexter wants to be paid among the NFLs highest paid Defenders but his age is a massive factor. This isn't accounting for the fact that he had elbow issues the season before. Compare that to Micah Parsons; younger but more impactful.


In short?! Age matters in the NFL. The younger you are, the longer you are more than likely to play. The NFL often is stated to stand for "Not For Long" for a reason. The game itself is inherently violent and thus, careers are often short.

 

He does project that way, but there is no guarantee that the college tape translates. There have been plenty of guys that have impressive college tape that do nothing in the NFL.

It is though. Younger is great, but there are major downfalls. The main one being young teams will have to manage their cap. You want to keep your studs, but you can't keep everyone (especially if you are paying a QB). It then puts pressure on your drafting, as your team turns over massively every couple years. Being too old is a problem too, because the older players are typically more expensive. The point is you have to mix both young players and vets. Being too invested in either side puts you in a position to be a bad draft or two from being a pretty poor team.

"the younger you are, the longer you are more likely to play" is a false statement. For first round picks, it is probably true. But only just over half of NFL players drafted get a second contract, which means that if you aren't a first or second round pick, a 28 year old consistent starter is far more likely to still be playing NFL ball in 4 years than the average rookie is. IDL is a brutal position, but the NFL is just brutal in general. There are plenty of good quality starting IDL over the age of 30, while some guys can play high level ball into their mid 30's. Chris Jones, DeForest Buckner, Leonard Williams, Kenny Clark, Vita Vea, Grady Jarrett, Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, BJ Hill, somehow Calais Campbell and Cam Heyward are still playing good football. There's plenty of examples. There is also a massive list of guys that are 29 right now that are great players too. I don't think a IDL is "old" until 32. The play may take downward ticks after 30, but they aren't done.

Please understand that I am not advocating rostering the oldest team in football. I just understand that a proper team has a good mix of vets and young players. A player that starts the season at 28 isn't toast (unless maybe he's a RB lol). There's still 3-4 years left of quality football in there. If you make the right vet signings, your team benefits greatly from it.

 

• Statistical Cliff: Lawrence’s sack production plummeted from 9.0 sacks in 2024 to just 0.5 sacks in 2025. He reportedly played portions of the 2025 season overweight and out of shape.

• Chronic Elbow Issues: A dislocated elbow suffered in late 2024 has continued to cause flare-ups. Giants management admitted his 2025 performance was significantly hampered by this lingering injury.

• Age and Wear: Now 28 (turning 29 during the 2026 season), Lawrence is entering the back half of his prime for a player weighing 340+ lb

Reportedly, Lawrence wants a deal paying $30M - $35M a season. Also, I wouldn't give up draft choices for an aging NT. I would rather invest in McDonald. Granted, like any draft pick, McDonald could be a bust. With that being said, this also applies to Lawrence. Lawrence could also be finished in terms of production.

 

FA is a lot like going to an auction. Overpaying because you get caught up in the bidding for something that probably doesn't have a useful life to justify it. I used to go to auctions to look for tools. It got pretty ridiculous what people were paying for a 10 year old chainsaw, for example. You keep your fingers crossed that the thing you bought might be the one that was built to last for decades.