When most people think of the Pittsburgh Steelers, they picture a tough, smothering defense because that’s always what the team has been known for, no matter how good the defense actually is at the time. However, for as good as the Steelers have been in terms of building great defenses, they might be better at drafting and developing wide receivers. Every year, it feels like the Steelers draft a receiver in the second or third round, and somehow that player ends up looking like an excellent selection.
Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Diontae Johnson are just a few players the Steelers have drafted on Day 2 who have had successful NFL careers. That isn’t even including players drafted beyond the third round like Martavis Bryant and Antonio Brown, or players who at least had some impact on the team like Sammie Coates or Markus Wheaton. This year, the team is hoping Roman Wilson can be its next big hit, and on the Establish The Run podcast, ESPN analyst Field Yates broke down why he believes Wilson should succeed, as well as the one issue he could stunt his growth.
“I think that Roman Wilson maybe landed in one of the better spots for a guy going in the third round regardless of position. This may be bad logic, but the Steelers get the benefit of the doubt from me when it comes to second and third-round wideouts. They’ve just crushed this sweet spot for so long, so if he’s good enough in their eyes to be a third-round pick, he’s good enough in my eyes,” Yates said. “My big concerns would be that he’s not gonna play with a quarterback, regardless of who starts, who at this juncture of his career is like this pure, natural pocket rhythm passer. Both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields can be see it, throw it quarterbacks.”
Yates isn’t wrong about the Steelers’ quarterback situation, as a big knock on both quarterbacks is that they can’t make as many plays within the pocket as they do outside of it. Wilson should be a primary slot receiver who has a heavier presence in the middle of the field, but both quarterbacks have usually been more inclined to throw down the sidelines than over the middle. It will be interesting to see how Arthur Smith balances all of the skill sets of these different players in his offense, and whether or not it can translate into success.
As Yates says though, the Steelers have been adept at drafting receivers in this range, with far more hits than misses, so they have earned the benefit of the doubt. No one is expecting Wilson to come in and be Antonio Brown, but if he blocks well and develops more as a receiver as the year goes on, he’ll earn time to compete on the field. Let’s just hope he isn’t Limas Sweed.
