After the Pittsburgh Steelers made the somewhat surprising move to trade Diontae Johnson, the team has a huge void at wide receiver. The team will likely dip its toes into the receiver pool in both free agency and the draft, although I wouldn’t expect any major splash free-agent moves at this point. However, it wouldn’t be a surprise for the team to make an addition to the room and then supplement it through the draft. We take a look at a few names that makes sense for the Steelers in both free agency and the draft to help replace Johnson.
Josh Reynolds
The former Detroit Lions wide receiver would be an ideal fit for the Steelers. The Steelers had representatives at his Pro Day at Texas A&M, and he’s coming off one of the most productive seasons of his career with the Detroit Lions. Reynolds had 40 receptions for 608 yards and five touchdowns, and he’s also a good blocker, which Arthur Smith values in his offense. Reynolds could work on the outside, and while he might not be a true No. 2, the Steelers probably aren’t going to get someone in free agency who can do as much as Johnson. Of all the free agents still out there, a Reynolds signing would be the one that excites me the most.
Tyler Boyd
I don’t necessarily think a Boyd signing is likely, but he’s worth mentioning due to the fact that he’s from the Pittsburgh area and played at Pitt. A return to the Cincinnati Bengals might be likely if the team deals Tee Higgins, but Boyd could be looking for another opportunity. Last season, Boyd had 67 receptions for 667 yards and two touchdowns, but he’s been a 1,000-yard receiver in the past and would be the highest-profile free-agent addition the Steelers could conceivably make (I don’t think they’re going after Calvin Ridley).
Boyd wouldn’t be a one-to-one replacement for Johnson — he’d work in the slot for the Steelers — but in terms of production, he would make sense as a No. 2 alongside Pickens. If the Steelers do sign Boyd, they also probably wouldn’t need to target a receiver in the first round of the draft. If the Steelers do sign Boyd, then at least there’s some measure of comfort at the receiver position heading into the draft, but it’ll come down to what Boyd thinks he’s worth and whether the Steelers are willing to pay it.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
Not at all an exciting signing, but Westbrook-Ikhine did begin his career with the Tennessee Titans in 2020 under Arthur Smith. Granted, he only had one start and finished 2020 with just eight receptions, but he’s a physical, blocking receiver who could provide some depth and play a role similar to the one Allen Robinson II did for the Steelers last season. He would be cheap, as he’s coming off a season with just 28 receptions for 370 yards and three touchdowns, and his familiarity with Smith could make him a fit for the Steelers. A Westbrook-Ikhine signing is a little bit of Moneyball as the Steelers would be taking him and someone else to replace Johnson’s production, and at a cheaper price.
It wouldn’t be all that exciting of a move, but it would be pretty solid and cheap. It wouldn’t solve the Steelers’ wide receiver problems, but would give them a guy who could play a role while they look to bring someone else in.
Adonai Mitchell
Now we get into the draft options and one of my favorites in Mitchell. He had a formal meeting with the Steelers at the NFL Scouting Combine, and while his stats don’t pop out at you, he played in loaded wide receiver rooms at Georgia and at Texas. Mitchell was one of Texas’ best receivers after transferring last season, catching 55 passes for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns. Mitchell will be gone by the time Pittsburgh’s second-round pick comes around, even in a deep receiver class, so they’d have to take him at No. 20. That might be a tiny bit of a reach, but he had a strong Combine and probably solidified himself as a first-round pick.
I personally think Mitchell has a high upside in the NFL, and Efram Geller wrote in his Steelers Depot scouting report that the right coaching staff could turn Mitchell into a legitimate No. 2 receiver:
“If Mitchell is drafted by a proper coaching staff, he can develop into a three-level separator and a high-upside, No. 2 receiver.”
He was teammates with George Pickens at Georgia in 2021, so the two have some familiarity with each other. A first-round receiver might not be the best course of action given Pittsburgh’s other needs, but right now, the receiver room looks rough. It might be a bigger need than a position like offensive tackle depending on what happens in free agency.
Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint
Shout-out to Ross McCorkle for putting Jacksaint on my radar, and he could be a nice fit for Pittsburgh in the middle rounds. A Jacksaint addition with one of Pittsburgh’s fourth-round picks would come if the Steelers either double-dip at receiver in the draft or bring in a receiver of the caliber of Boyd or Reynolds as a free agent. Jacksaint is an eager blocker who also had 34 receptions for 535 yards and four touchdowns for Georgia last season.
There are a number of names the Steelers met with at the Combine who could conceivably be first-round picks, like Troy Franklin and Brian Thomas, but it’s a deep receiver class and names like Jacksaint should be discussed as potential middle-round options for Pittsburgh. We’ll look deeper at the crop of receivers in the draft, and potentially some of the top guys depending on how free agency goes. But it does seem more likely that the Steelers target a receiver after Day 1, especially with their success finding guys on Day 2 in the past.
Jacksaint may be more of an early Day 3 pick, but he has the traits that Smith likes. He could definitely be an impact player as a rookie while also producing on special teams, which is always important.
