The Pittsburgh Steelers generally do a nice job filling immediate needs prior to the NFL draft, so they aren’t cornered into addressing specific positions and can approach each pick with best player available in mind. This year, things shook out a little differently with fairly obvious need remaining at center, offensive tackle, wide receiver, and cornerback. Fortunately for the Steelers, those are among some of the deepest groups in this year’s draft class.
Their need at some of these positions entering the draft isn’t for a lack of trying. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Steelers insider Gerry Dulac appeared on Under Review via Connect FM on Wednesday and discussed how the Steelers have been trying to address wide receiver for most of this offseason so far.
“I will tell you that they’ve had their eye on getting a number two receiver for several months now, and they were hoping it would be Mike Williams,” Dulac said. “Two days before they were gonna talk to him, the Jets wouldn’t let him leave, and he signed for $15 million, which the Steelers were not going to pay for one year.”
Right around the same time as the scheduled meeting with Williams, the Steelers signed WR Van Jefferson and then picked up WR Quez Watkins a couple weeks later. But they are going to be competing for depth and rotational roles on the roster. The Steelers still have a need for a No. 2, and according to Dulac they would have preferred a veteran rather than turning to the draft.
“The only problem is, if you go find a receiver in the draft, which they will, now you have a pretty young receiving room because you have George Pickens in his third year, Calvin Austin [III] in his third year…and then a rookie,” Dulac said. “And that’s why they would’ve liked to [sign a veteran WR2], and I’m not gonna rule it out, it’s just that there’s not a lot of options available.”
Just yesterday, Dulac noted in his Steelers chat on Post-Gazette that the Steelers did in fact reach out about San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk, but the team is not interested in parting ways with him. Former Cincinnati Bengals WR Tyler Boyd was linked to the Steelers early in free agency, but that thought seems to have died off, perhaps due to the asking price. Denver Broncos WR Courtland Sutton is an emerging option after he failed to show up to voluntary offseason workouts seeking a new contract.
Either Aiyuk or Sutton would need to be acquired in a trade and then given an extension, and the Steelers don’t typically give the type of money that those guys want to external acquisitions. They would be among the highest-paid players on the team if brought in.
It seems more and more likely that the team will end up drafting a WR with one of its first three picks, and with that will have one of the youngest WR rooms in the league. Diontae Johnson and Allen Robinson II were the veterans in the room last year, but the Steelers traded Johnson to the Carolina Panthers and Robinson remains a free agent.
Given how multiple players pointed to Robinson as a positive figure and leader in the WR room, could he be in line to circle back to the team after the draft?
