The Pittsburgh Steelers may not be done adding to their wide receiver room; one possible addition is one of third-round pick Roman Wilson’s favorite players to study. Another is one of his new quarterback’s all-time favorite players. And the other is the guy whose footsteps he’d like to follow after a blistering rookie campaign.
One of the topics Wilson talked about on the Steel Here podcast recently was the wide receivers he studies. He had two names that he’d been watching for a while, but last season made him add a name.
“I watched a lot of Tyler Lockett and Hunter Renfrow this last season”, he told Jersey Jerry and Kevin Adams. “Especially right now, I just watch a lot of Puka Nacua. I just feel like, a guy who came in his first year, I want to emulate that. I think he’s a phenomenal player, phenomenal athlete, runs great routes, and very physical”.
Nacua took the NFL by storm in 2023 as a fifth-round pick, setting all-time NFL rookie records. He caught 105 passes with the Los Angeles Rams for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns. Then he caught another nine for 181 yards and a touchdown in their lone playoff game. Aside from the one postseason contest, Roman Wilson would love to have that type of year.
His interest in Tyler Lockett and Hunter Renfrow are also telling, I think, in examining his view of himself. Renfrow is a small-statured player who is pretty much limited to the slot. Yet Lockett is virtually the same size but has played quite a bit outside. In fact, he’s playing more outside in recent years than he used to for much of his career.
And that’s the dilemma with Roman Wilson, which is where exactly he fits. Most seem to believe that he is best suited to life in the slot, but he’ll have to play outside some. To what extent could go a long way to determining his ceiling.
As the roster currently looks, Wilson may pencil in as a Day-One starter. The only real notable name on the depth chart is George Pickens, but they have enough journeymen to push him. If the coaches don’t feel Wilson is ready, they can play their Van Jeffersons and Scotty Millers.
Another notable shared trait between Wilson and Lockett is a dedication to the craft of blocking. That’s certainly not something that every wide receiver willingly picks up, let alone perfects. But playing in an Arthur Smith offense, his predilection for that aspect of the position will serve him well.
Players’ favorite examples to study isn’t always the most interesting topic in the world. In this case, however, I think Roman Wilson’s models for his game do say a lot about him. The only caveat is that Nacua is taller at 6-2, whereas Wilson is in between at 6-0(ish). Both Lockett and Renfrow are shorter. But they have a lot of similarities in their game that Wilson aims to learn from, particularly as route runners.
