Tremendous excitement surrounded the selection of West Virginia center Zach Frazier at No. 51 overall in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft as the Pittsburgh Steelers plugged a major need and got a player who just screams Steeler.
Turns out, the selection at No. 84 of Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson might have been not only one of the best of the night for the Steelers, but in the NFL Draft overall.
That selection of Wilson was called one of the steals of Day 2 by Pro Football Focus and earned praise from ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. following the conclusion of Day 2 of the NFL draft in Detroit.
“I love wideout Roman Wilson’s landing spot in Pittsburgh, which picked him at No. 84. Let him run crossers and he will beat cornerbacks once the ball is in his hands,” Kiper said.
Though there are questions about his ability to stick outside as a true X receiver due to his size and play style, there is no denying the tape with Wilson. He wins in contested-catch situations consistently, is a great route runner and has a great deal of success against man coverage.
He blocks his tail off, too, and projects as a great fit in new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme due to that blocking mentality and his willingness to go into the tough areas of the field to make plays.
Wilson just felt like a Steeler throughout the pre-draft process, so landing him at No. 84, with the Black and Gold addressing a major need, isn’t much of a surprise.
The fact that he fell all the way to No. 84 is a surprise, which had PFF highlighting the selection as one of the steals of Day 2.
“Wilson was in the conversation with the second tier of receivers in this class but fell to No. 84, giving the Steelers great value on a QB-friendly target who is also one of the best separators in the class,” PFF’s Mark Chichester writes. “A season ago, 26 of Wilson’s 34 targets against single coverage were charted as ‘open,’ leading to an absurd 99.9 receiving grade in those situations.
“An easy projection to start Day 1 in the slot for Pittsburgh, Wilson should quickly establish himself as a trustworthy target who can help move the chains on key downs.”
Establishing himself as a chain-moving receiver in Pittsburgh should not be a problem for Wilson. According to Wilson’s report in “The Beast” from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, 79.2% of his catches in 2023 at went for first downs. That was one of the top numbers in all of college football last season, and he did all of that in a run-heavy offense that didn’t ask the passing game to do much overall at Michigan.
While he might be a slot guy in the NFL, Wilson is a sound fit for the Steelers from a play style and mentality standpoint, one who will endear him to the fan base rather quickly once the pads come on.
The fact that they were able to sit tight and land him at No. 84 makes it that much sweeter.
