When the group of invited rookies head to the NFLPA Rookie Premier this year in Los Angeles, Pittsburgh Steelers WR Roman Wilson will be among them. The annual event consists mostly of skill-position players on offense and gets them exposure to top brands and their representatives. This event is supposed to act as the players’ first introductions to these brands, and for some it will be, but most players have at least some brand connections via the NIL system in college in this day and age.
Thursday, The NFL officially announced its premiere with Wilson among the 40 players attending the event held in Los Angeles May 16-19. He is the only Steeler listed.
Wilson was the only skill-position player that the Steelers drafted with the majority of their draft focused on the big guys up front in the trenches. The event has made more of an effort to include a few defensive players each year. I thought Payton Wilson may have had a chance given he was viewed as one of the top ILBs in the class, pushed down the board by injury concerns, but there were plenty of defensive players drafted ahead of him, so it makes sense for the few defensive spots to be given to them.
Last year, the Steelers had zero players invited to the event. They had three in 2022 with Kenny Pickett, George Pickens, and Calvin Austin III, and two in 2021 with Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth.
Here is the trio of players from the 2022 premiere wearing their jerseys for the first time.
Roman Wilson has been assigned No. 10 and we might get our first look at him in full Steelers gear at the premiere event.
As it stands now, he has a good shot at being the WR2 in Pittsburgh. He has more experience in the slot than he does outside, but he is probably better suited than Austin to fill that role. That could change if the Steelers end up acquiring the much-anticipated “significant playmaker” at wide receiver before the season.
