Entering the offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers had some very clear, obvious needs on the roster, such as quarterback, defensive back and inside linebacker, among others.
Just over one full week into the new league year, the Steelers have addressed some of those needs, reshaping their roster in a big way. But in the process, they created a major hole at a key position offensively: wide receiver.
That hole was opened following the trade of Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers for cornerback Donte Jackson. Though the Steelers signed veteran Van Jefferson to a one-year deal last week, the room is still very thin behind George Pickens with Jefferson, Calvin Austin III and Marquez Callaway the notable wide receivers on the offseason roster.
For ESPN, the wide receiver position is the team’s biggest need moving forward.
“Trading away Johnson and cutting Allen Robinson II means the Steelers need one or two more wide receivers to round out a group led by George Pickens,” ESPN’s Brooke Pryor writes. “The Steelers have interest in former Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd, who went to college at Pitt. The team also has a solid track record of drafting the position, so look for them to target receivers next month.”
With Johnson now out of the picture, Pickens is the man at the position. Coming off a breakout season in which he hauled in 63 receptions for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns, he put together five games of 100-plus yards in his second season, hitting the home run quite a few times for the Steelers’ offense.
Behind him though, there are serious concerns.
Jefferson is an experienced receiver who had a really good 2021 season when the Los Angeles Rams won the Super Bowl, hauling in 50 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns. But the last two seasons have been a struggle for Jefferson, who has just 44 receptions for 578 yards and has not found the end zone since 2021.
Austin is certainly an intriguing name with his speed and ability to take a touch to the house, but he hasn’t done much of anything at the receiver position outside of a 72-yard touchdown last season in Week 3. Though he scored late in the Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills, Austin still has quite a bit of development to do as a receiver.
Therefore, the Steelers should be in the market for another receiver or two. They’ve been connected to former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd in free agency not to mention former Detroit Lions wide receiver Josh Reynolds. There’s been speculation about a trade for San Francisco’s Brandon Aiyuk, too, and plenty of reporting about the Steelers having a ton of interest in some of the top receivers in the class coming out of the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.
The Steelers need to add to the receiver position, that much they seem to understand. What they do at the position and when are questions that still need to be answered. But any way you view it currently, wide receiver is a massive need.
