The Pittsburgh Steelers have a need at wide receiver after trading Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers during the first week of free agency, and they are reportedly filling that need with Quez Watkins, per MLFootball and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Watkins spent the last four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles after they selected him in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He started 25 games for the Eagles, including 12 in 2021, and had 98 receptions for 1,249 yards and six touchdowns. In 2023, he started just five games and appeared in nine as he had a hamstring injury that sent him to IR in mid-October after Week 5. He was re-actived from IR on Nov. 25. During that injury-shortened season, he had 15 receptions for 142 yards and one touchdown.
According to Pro Football Focus, Watkins’ best season came in 2021 when he got his most playing time. He was given a 70.5 overall grade by PFF, including a 73.6 receiving grade, and he was only charged with one drop on 61 targets. In the two career games against the Steelers, he was targeted twice but had zero receptions.
Watkins has played a majority of his NFL career in the slot, logging the vast majority of his snaps there, but he also lined up out wide at times. New Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s history indicates that the offense will not get much usage out of the slot receiver position, so it will be interesting to see what ways Watkins is used.
He also adds some potential value as a return specialist as he has returned 14 kickoffs in his career for 200 yards with a 14.3 average.
Steelers assistant GM Andy Weidl was previously with the Eagles, and this is yet another one of his former drafted players who is joining him in Pittsburgh. That list also includes OL Nate Herbig and OG Isaac Seumalo.
He will join George Pickens, Calvin Austin III, and newly signed Van Jefferson as the receivers in the room for now with Johnson and Allen Robinson II out the door. The Steelers have also been showing plenty of interest in the position during the pre-draft process, and Mike Tomlin confirmed the line of thinking that a solid receiver can be drafted in the first few rounds with a deep and talented class this year.
