Former NFL running back and current analyst Maurice Jones-Drew was a guest on The Dan Patrick Show. During that interview, Jones-Drew was asked whether he thought the Steelers or Falcons put themselves in a better position with their quarterback additions. The Steelers reportedly signed Russell Wilson, while the Falcons added Kirk Cousins. Although Jones-Drew thinks Atlanta is better because Cousins is an easy fit into their system and Pittsburgh still has to add, he said Wilson elevates the Steelers to AFC North contenders.
“Pittsburgh is gonna have to draft another receiver, so to me, that’s gonna be a big deal to get another receiver obviously to help out because you just lost Diontae Johnson who was a really good player,” Jones-Drew said. “I’m very interested to see how Russell Wilson is going to work in this situation because it’s going to be a run-first offense, very similar to what it was in Seattle, yes, but what receiver do you go and get to be that deep threat down the field or a guy that can kind of replace kind of what Diontae Johnson did, I know there’s some really good receivers in this draft but you’re gonna have to go get those guys early.”
Despite the clear need for a No. 2 wideout next to George Pickens, Jones-Drew said that the Steelers are much better off with Wilson than “what they had on the roster last year.”
“I think they put themselves in position to contend for an AFC North title with that Russell Wilson signing because he’s a much better player than what they had on the roster last year.”
Pittsburgh’s offense struggled for much of last season due to inconsistent play from Kenny Pickett at quarterback, and while Mason Rudolph righted the ship a little bit at the end of the season, the team still looked to upgrade the quarterback position. Rudolph is now with the Tennessee Titans, and the Steelers will roll with Wilson and Pickett in what I’m sure they’ll claim to be a competition. But Wilson is more than likely going to be the Week 1 starter, and he should be an upgrade over Pickett.
But the need at receiver is real, as Pittsburgh’s current options next to Pickens are slim. Calvin Austin III has plenty of speed, but didn’t show anything last season that would make the team trust him as a legitimate No. 2 option. Reportedly, the Steelers are interested in Tyler Boyd who would be an ideal pickup. Pittsburgh will also likely look to the draft to find a receiver.
They don’t necessarily have to target a guy who’s going to go in the first round, but it’s a talented receiver class this year, and the Steelers could probably get someone to contribute immediately at No. 20 overall and continue to develop that player. Granted, the Steelers have other needs that they need to fill, with center being a major hole right now. With players like Roman Wilson and Ricky Pearsall available on Day 2, the Steelers could still wait and get a productive player in the second or third round.
Pittsburgh’s plan at receiver will likely depend on what the team does in free agency, and if the Steelers don’t bring in another capable option next to Pickens, it may become a need they look to address on Day 1 of the draft. But either way, Wilson’s play should give the Steelers a legitimate chance to compete in the AFC North. Even with their subpar quarterback play last season, they still finished 10-7. Wilson should hopefully elevate their ceiling a bit, especially with a ground game that emerged with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.
There’s still a lot of offseason left. We’ll find out in the next few weeks how the Steelers plan to address receiver and some of their other holes to give themselves the best chance to compete in the playoffs.
