After trading Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers in a move to acquire cornerback Donte Jackson, the Pittsburgh Steelers opened up a sizable hole at the wide receiver position.
That hole has yet to be filled, even with the signings of veterans Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins in free agency this offseason.
The Steelers, to their credit, have been doing their due diligence at the receiver position in the pre-draft process, bringing in a number of receivers to their South Side facility for pre-draft visits while also holding multiple formal meetings with key players at the position at the NFL Scouting Combine.
According to NFL insider Jason La Canfora of Audacy, the Steelers are trying to do something at the position via trade, whether that’s before or during the 2024 NFL Draft.
“For me, there’s a piece of information we don’t have yet, which is do they trade for a wide receiver before the draft? It would not surprise me if they did that tomorrow, if they did it the Wednesday before the draft,” La Canfora said on the In The Huddle podcast with Brian Baldinger and Carl Dukes, according to audio via the show’s podcast page. “If they did it while they were on the clock, if they did it in the run up to the draft that Thursday, I know that they’re really trying to make something happen there.
“They’ve done an incredible job drafting wide receivers. So if they don’t get a veteran plug-and-play guy, then yeah.”
The Steelers have been speculated about regarding a potential trade for a receiver, such as San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who is in line for a new contract as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. Aiyuk raised some eyebrows in March when he tweeted at Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin in the midst of the speculation regarding a potential Steelers fit for the standout receiver.
San Francisco GM John Lynch shut down any Aiyuk trade rumors during the NFL owners meetings in Orlando in late March, but stranger things have happened. It would be costly for the Steelers, both from a trade capital and a contract standpoint with Aiyuk, were that to be the move.
Even if it’s not Aiyuk, La Canfora believes the Steelers are really trying to do something — anything — via trade to address the position, even if the talks of a trade for a receiver have quieted. It might not be the big-name guy, but based on what La Canfora is hearing and now talking about publicly, the Steelers are looking to solidify the spot opposite George Pickens with a veteran, which would come via trade.
We’ll see what happens in the days and weeks leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, and even during the draft when GM Omar Khan could get aggressive and make a move to plug the hole on the roster. But it’s clear the Steelers aren’t satisfied at the position at all behind Pickens.
