If the Pittsburgh Steelers making a big move at quarterback isn’t in the cards, their splash could come at wide receiver. Though the team has two established starters in George Pickens and Diontae Johnson and hired the tight-end heavy Arthur Smith as their new offensive coordinator, Combine tea leaves hint the team is looking to add a big name come April’s draft.
Based on our reporting and NFL Network Ian Rapoport’s Saturday night note of the Steelers meeting with Washington WR Rome Odunze, a top prospect in this draft, Pittsburgh buzzed all around Top-50 picks in this year’s class. We know of the team holding at least six formal interviews with receivers. And they aren’t late-round fliers. The list:
Jalen McMillan – Washington
Troy Franklin – Oregon
Adonai Mitchell – Texas
Keon Coleman – Florida State
Brian Thomas Jr. – LSU
Rome Odunze – Washington
All big names. And mostly big people. All six of them weighing in at least 6-1 with four of the six at least 200 pounds. Though projections are still a bit fluid, there could easily be four or five first rounders from this bunch. Odunze is a lock. Mitchell and Thomas are likely to join him while Franklin and Coleman are potential late Day One prospects. There’s no fourth-rounder among this group.
Receiver, as it’s typically become in recent years, is a strong and deep class. When the college game is all about passing, there’s a trickle-up effect to the NFL game, producing tons of receiver talent. Though Pittsburgh isn’t strictly a BPA team in the early rounds, it’s always about need and value intersecting as its highest point, you can bet they’ll have receivers available who come with high grades on their draft board. Though a more minor point, it’s worth mentioning new Steelers’ WR Coach Zach Azzanni helped run receiver drills at the Combine. Sure doesn’t hurt to learn a little extra about the group.
If Pittsburgh’s intent is to stick by Kenny Pickett and use 2024 as a make or break season, then they must surround him with an abundance of weapons. In fairness, they have a quality group right now but no team’s been upset about having too much talent. Draft a receiver early and you give Pickett every fair shake to play well.
Though the Steelers have two starting receivers already, they really only have two. Pickens and Johnson. It seems they have a desire to retain WR Allen Robinson II on a significantly reduced salary but he’s a possession receiver in the final year or two of his career. I’m lower on Calvin Austin III than many others and he doesn’t compare to the talent in this class. Depth is weak.
And it could get worse by next season. Johnson is entering the final year of his contract and tough Omar Khan slipped and said there’s been some conversations about an extension, Johnson’s future seems murky. Any absence in 2024 or 2025 without a Plan B is a big-time problem.
How will the Steelers balance WR with their other needs? It’s difficult to say. Free agent additions will eliminate some of the team’s needs, making this path more manageable. After the Smith hire, I downplayed the idea of the Steelers targeting a slot receiver. But the idea of them taking a receiver remained on the table and given this new information, it seems like Pittsburgh is doing serious homework. Will it happen in the first round? Unlikely though given this list, it can’t be completely ruled out. Day Two is typically the sweet spot and that could repeat itself in 2024.
Over the weekend, Dave Bryan made a good point on Twitter. The Steelers rarely exit a draft without a WR. Going two straight without one is almost unheard of. The last time it occurred? 2003 and 2004 with the Steelers only having five picks in ’03 after trading up for SS Troy Polamalu. Now, the team hasn’t always drafted the position highly but this year, they might be investing a high pick.
